Schools and media have been known to address mental illness as a solvable issue, and where this is true, schools have also neglected to inform their students about the signs as well as the ways of prevention.

Depression has been present in teens and adults alike since the beginning of the human race, however it  was only in recent times that people have begun to openly speak about their mental illnesses.

Being represented in pop culture through numerous movies and music such as World’s Greatest Dad featuring Robin Williams or Blue Moon by Elvis Presley, the world has slowly become more aware of issues found behind the closed curtains of the human brain. Unfortunately, public schools have been one of the last places to fully address the issue.

An average of 20 percent of teens are diagnosed with depression before even reaching adulthood. This is an obvious issue, considering the effects of depression, including suicide and further mental issues arising.

While people may argue that there is only so much that schools can do to provide their students with the appropriate information and help, it is ignorant to believe that because of little ability to do something, there is no point in doing anything at all.

Schools are the foundations of teens’ lives around the world and students need the support and help needed to overcome their mental issues, meaning that administrators need to improve the resources they provide their students when concerning depression.