Most of the teenagers with major depression never get treatment for it, according to a new federal
report. That depressing news comes as no surprise to healthcare professionals, who say that many kids
and parents don't recognize depression’s symptoms(症状). And if they do, it can be difficult or
impossible to get help. This is no small problem; about 2 million teenagers experience clinical depression
each year, an illness that can do harm to school performance and friendships and is a leading cause of
teen suicide(自杀).
The new report found that just 39 percent of teens with major depression got treatment. Here are
three ways to make sure your child can get over the problem.
Getting diagnosed(诊断). Last month, pediatricians(儿科医生) and family doctors were required
to examine all teenagers for depression. Courtney Jones, a 17-year-old in Portland, Ore., said that the
examination saved her life when she was 14. She didn't recognize that her loss of confidence and sudden
lack of interest in spending time with friends were warning signs. Symptoms of depression include
frequent sadness, decreased interest in activities, and hopelessness.
Finding help. It's no surprise to healthcare professionals that families have a hard time finding
mental-health services; there are only 7,418 child and adolescent psychiatrists(精神科医生) in the
United States, or about 1 for every 10,000 kids. For now, the best first step is to be examined by a
pediatrician or family doctor, and then go to a psychiatrist for treatment and perhaps medication. David
Palmiter, a psychologist, suggests checking out local universities, which often run clinics, as well as
community mental-health clinics.
Paying for treatment. Paying for healthcare is a struggle these days, and mental-health services can
be ever harder to cover. The report found that lack of health insurance coverage was the biggest barrier
to getting help. Only 17.2 percent of teens without health insurance coverage were able to get treatment.
However, there are still ways to find affordable mental-health care that you may not be aware of. In a
word, you should establish a relationship with a doctor, give the doctor a chance to get to know your kid
and help her or him get better.
1. What are the symptoms of depression for kids?
a. committing suicide
b. sudden lack of interest in staying with friends
c. failing the school examinations
d. frequently feeling upset e. feeling desperate for no good reason
A. a, b, d
B. b, c, e
C. a, c, e
D. b, d, e
2. The writer uses the case of Courtney Jones to prove that __________.
A. kids with depression find it difficult to get treatment
B. it's necessary to examine all teenagers for depression
C. many American kids are suffering from depression
D. warning signs can help kids to find their problems
3. According to the writer, you'd better first have the kid examined by __________.
A. a pediatrician or family doctor
B. a psychiatrist or psychologist
C. a psychiatrist or family doctor
D. a pediatrician or psychiatrist
4. What's the main reason why kids with depression do not get help according to the report?
A. parents' ignorance of the illness
B. lack of psychiatrists for children
C. lack of health insurance coverage
D. difficulties in diagnosing depression
5. What's the writing purpose of the passage?
A. To teach kids to recognize depression's symptoms.
B. To explain the findings of a new report to people
C. To help parents to have their kids get treatment.
D. To arose the public's attention to the problem
的和函数是（）
