Under Pressure, an out of school group in Derry, aims to raise awareness about young people and depression using drama and by designing a CD-ROM package for schools and teachers.
Concerned with a rising number of suicides and an increase among young people suffering from depression in Derry, Under Pressure consulted widely with school pupils to find out how they thought the problem could best be tackled.
In 1997, Derry had the highest rate of suicide in Northern Ireland. While the rate has dropped in Derry, Ireland's suicide rate is ranked among the highest in the western world, particularly for young men.
"I don't think people take youth depression seriously enough, they just tell young people to pull themselves together and that life isn't that bad. They complain that they never had as much money and activities in their youth but I think that with modern day stuff comes modern day pressures," said Gillian Kennedy, assistant project coordinator.
Young people said causes of depression included peer pressure, bullying, domestic problems, exam pressure, appearance and lack of money.
Project member Jim Moran (15) believes "Young people get depressed because of their school and social lives. The most serious cause of depression is bullying."
He also feels there should be more counselling available for young people. "Girls," he added, seem to "understand more about depression." With £88,500 funding from the New Opportunities Fund, Under Pressure organisers and young people decided to use an innovative approach to combat and raise awareness about the problem.
Together they composed a 40-minute play, which they will perform in schools throughout Northern Ireland. The young people will also be involved in set design, choreography, wardrobe and sound.
The dramatisation shows how young people react and cope with day-to-day problems. Adrian Bradley (15) said, "Boys commit suicide more because they don't tell people when they're ticked off, big boys don't cry kind of thing. In the play we cover issues such as peer pressure, bullying and drug taking." Young people at Under Pressure feel that it is important to make teachers aware of the signs of depression among pupils.
They plan to produce a CD-ROM and help design a teacher's pack, which will include drama and creative arts resources to use in the classroom to look at mental health, depression and suicide. Some 5,000 CD-ROMs will be made available and distributed free to schools.
Adrian said, "I don't think it's the teachers' place to intervene with their pupils if they think they are depressed but I think they should learn to be aware of it. They should go easy on you if they know you aren't at your best."
Organisations from Canada and America are following the project's progress closely. Several Scandinavian countries are also interested because they are looking at formulas to tackle S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder).
About the team
This article was produced by Orlaith Graham Wood, 12 Michael Leathem, 14 and Amy Magowan Greene, 12. It was published in Step by Step, a joint publication with the New Opportunities Fund in Northern Ireland.
