The Depression Meter: A Tool to Beat the Holiday Blues

The holiday season is right around the corner and for most of us, that means fun and family, but for others, this is the most difficult time of year.

Five percent of children suffer from depression. A recent survey indicates that as many as 20% or one in five teens suffer from clinical depression. Approximately 1 in 8 women suffer from depression and the holiday season can make that depression even worse. I call it the Holiday blues.

Most of us know depression as a pervasive sadness, but it is more than that. Depression can be a despair that stays with the person and can be debilitating.

When you think of depression, you most likely think of the inward expression of behavior, i.e., a sad, downcast look, the person doesn't want talk or do fun things that they used to do. But depression can also take a different look. Some people "externalize" their feelings and act out in angry and aggressive ways, as if they are mad at the whole world.

Here are some symptoms indicate depression that you should know:

Internalizing Behavior

• Poor school or work performance
• Withdrawal from friends or activities
• Feelings of sadness and hopelessness that lasts for more than 2 weeks
• Lack of enthusiasm, energy or motivation
• Prolonged periods of sadness

Externalizing Behavior

• Anger and rage
• Overreaction to criticism
• Problems with authority
• Multiple outbursts
• Defensiveness

The good news is that the holiday blues are easy to track using a tool called the Depression Meter. This is a meter that can give you an indication of the level sadness that a person is feeling.

The Depression Meter

The Depression Meter is a scale, numbered from 1 to 10, with 1 being a good day, and 10 being the saddest that the person has felt. The numbers on the Depression Meter correlate with the intensity of emotion that the person is feeling.

You can use the Depression Meter in a number of different ways. First of all, let's say you are a teacher and a student in your class, Jane, appears consistently sad and you begin to be concerned about her. You can ask Jane to rate her sadness on the Depression Meter. Her number will immediately give you an indication of just how sad Jane really is feeling.

I can't tell you how many times I have looked at a client and had a number in my head (4), but when I asked the client to rate their number of the Depression Meter, their number was very different from mine (7)! You can't always tell how someone is feeling just by looking at them! The Depression Meter can help you determine if a person is having a rough time, especially during the Holiday season.

Let's say you are a school or mental health counselor. You could use the Depression Meter to have Jane track her number on a chart or a calendar. A consistently high number is an indicator that Jane is not coping well and needs some additional strategies. The Depression Meter can also be used as a tracking and assessment tool to monitor therapeutic progress.

You can use the Depression Meter as a teaching tool. For example, during class or a counseling session you can teach the social emotional skill of self-awareness. The Depression Meter with enable your student(s) or your client(s) to "check in" with their feelings, then you can discuss healthy activities they can engage in to feel better.

The Depression Meter gives you a common language to use when discussing feelings of sadness. It gives you a baseline. During this holiday season, use the Depression Meter at home to get a handle on someone you feel is struggling with the Holiday Blues.

The holiday season is difficult for many people. The Depression Meter can give you a common language that will empower you to help your students endure and successfully cope with their Holiday Blues.

Additional Resources:
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Fact sheet on the depressed child
http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/the_depressed_child

Mental Health America of the Heartland. http://www.mhah.org
Moore, D (2008) Why are so many students so angry? Second Wind Press. KCMO

Dacia L. Moore, MA, LPC, NCC, President and Founder of Second Wind Counseling & Consulting, is a Keynote Speaker, Author and Professional Development Trainer. She has a Masters Degree in Counseling from Webster University and is a National Board Certified Counselor. She also teaches courses at the Metropolitan Community Colleges-Penn Valley Campus and at Webster University.

Before starting her company, Dacia was V.P. of Programs at a residential facility where she provided training for staff, parents, guardians and students on topics such as Anger Management, Mediation, Conflict Resolution, Stress Reduction and Leadership. Dacia is the author of the book "Why Are So Many Students So Angry?" and wants to guide YOU to reduce conflict and increase the peace!

To Contact:
Dacia Moore, LPC
Second Wind Counseling & Consulting
8301 State Line, Suite 200
Kansas City, MO 64114
816-767-9460
http://www.secondwindcc.com

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