Mental Illness and Youth Exchange: Four Cornerstones of Mental Illness Affecting an Exchange Sieglinde Warren, LCDC III and Terri Nicole Sawyer, CSW

The 4 Cornerstones

The Cornerstones: In this workshop, we will examine FOUR cornerstones of mental illness found in Rotary Youth Exchange Students.

Why Attend this Workshop? Let’s look!

You will receive an overview of four mental health problems with which youth struggle while on exchange: Anxiety, Depression, Eating Disorders and Substance Abuse. This interactive session will describe the mental health issues and help you identify signs and symptoms and develop an action plan.

Let’s Start By Picking Work Teams

Depression

What is Depression in Teens? Signs and symptoms of depression in teens Sadness or hopelessness, Irritability, anger, or hostility Tearfulness or frequent crying, Withdrawal from friends and family Loss of interest in activities, Feelings of worthlessness and guilt Changes in eating and sleeping habits, Restlessness and agitation Lack of enthusiasm and motivation, Fatigue or lack of energy Difficulty concentrating, Thoughts of death or suicide If you’re unsure if an adolescent in your life is depressed or just “being a teenager,” consider how long the symptoms have been present, how severe they are, and how different the teen is acting from his or her usual self. While some “growing pains” are to be expected as teenagers grapple with the challenges of growing up, dramatic, long-lasting changes in personality, mood, or behavior are red flags of a deeper problem.

If our youth could put how they are feeling in words we could understand.

Clinical Vignette Chloe is an 18 year old girl living in her second host family. For the last four weeks, she has been feeling unusually sad. She has always loved playing lacrosse, but doesn’t seem to care about it anymore and lately has been trying to avoid training sessions. She has lost quite a bit of weight because she is not eating properly. She seems to be finding it difficult to concentrate and make normal day to day decisions. This is having a negative effect on her training and school work. She also seems to be very tired and run down. Friends, teachers and her coach are all concerned about her.

Special Guest - Ted

Group Work Break up into your groups Read the Mental Health Treatment Plan Steps to Think About Before Creating your Plan Use a Mental Health Treatment Plan to work out a pathway to help this student receive the help they need. Be ready to present your plan in minutes

Time to Work

Volunteer Group to Present

Anxiety

What are the signs of Anxiety? What Are the Symptoms of an Anxiety Disorder? Feelings of panic, fear, and uneasiness Problems sleeping, Muscle Tension Cold or sweaty hands and/or feet Shortness of breath, dry mouth Heart Palpitations An inability to be still and calm Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet Nausea, Dizziness

If our youth could put how they are feeling in words we could understand

Clinical Vignette A 17 year old exchange student has always felt "shy" and avoids answering questions in her literature class. Last Monday, she stayed home although she had to give a speech in class, because she did not want to "make a fool out of herself" in front of her classmates. She has the English skills and speaks without mistakes.

Group Work Break up into your groups Read the Mental Health Treatment Plan Steps to Think About Before Creating your Plan Use a Mental Health Treatment Plan to work out a pathway to help this student receive the help they need. Be ready to present your plan in minutes

Time to Work

Volunteer Group to Present

Eating Disorders

Anorexia vs. Bulima

Warning Signs of an Eating Disorder

Clinical Vignette A 16 year-old female is under pressure at school. She has SATs this year and has a number of other big exams that, in total, will have a huge impact on where she will be accepted to college next year. She has a history of "obsessing" over schoolwork. She is an "overachiever", participating in many different extra- curricular activities, i.e. seasonal sports teams, clubs and the school play. On top of this, she has social pressures as she is in the popular social circle at school and it takes a lot of effort to maintain that status. She is about 5'3" and has gained about 30 pounds over the past year. She is overweight in appearance. When asked, she reports that she tends to eat when she is nervous, particularly at night when she is by herself and thinking about all of her responsibilities and worries about the future. The amount of food she eats at these times is more than she eats all day. After each time she eats, she quietly goes into the bathroom and vomits.

Group Work Break up into your groups Read the Mental Health Treatment Plan Steps to Think About Before Creating your Plan Use a Mental Health Treatment Plan to work out a pathway to help this student receive the help they need. Be ready to present your plan in minutes

Time to Work

Volunteer Group to Present

Substance Abuse

References Depression Section es/fred_jefferson_table1.gif cts_for_families/04_the_depressed_child.pdf Bonus info on Depression

References Anxiety Disorder Section Glossary_of_Symptoms_and_Illnesses/Anxiety.aspx

References Eating Disorder Session cts_for_families/02_teenagers_with_eating_disorders.p df

Contact Information Terri Nicole Sawyer, CSW