On 'My Golden Child,' a second-year middle schooler named Geumjjok appealed to the production team for help, drawing sorrow.
On the 19th episode of Channel A's 'These Days Parenting - My Golden Child,' a story titled "My second-year middle school son says extreme things; could it be adolescent depression?" was revealed.
In the video, Geumjjok, who was living reclusively, sent messages to his father such as "Please don't look for me" and "Running away from home is better than being stressed," surprising everyone.
He even uttered extreme words to his father. The father lamented, "At first I thought it was just puberty, but the intensity got too high." In response, Dr. Oh Eun-young noted, "Many people face difficulties as they enter adolescence. Globally, 1 in 7 young people aged 10 to 19, or 14%, experience severe mental health red flags. They are suffering from anxiety disorders or depression and need treatment," pointing out a social problem.
She added, "The leading cause of death among youth in Korea is 'intentional self-harm.' We must be able to distinguish whether this is a characteristic of puberty or a pattern caused by depression."
Later, in an interview with the production team, after a long silence Geumjjok made an SOS plea, saying, "I feel like I want to die. Please help me." Rushing to a counseling center, Geumjjok's results showed he fell into a high-risk category, attracting attention.
Referring to the father's remark that his son had been saying extreme things since this year, Dr. Oh Eun-young said, "It's been almost more than half a year now. I asked questions to distinguish between normal adolescence and depression. Typically, with depression you feel down for at least two weeks and lose interest in everything."
She continued, "With ordinary puberty, a child might hear something unpleasant today and feel briefly down or in a bad mood. If the situation changes and they meet a close friend, they may feel better. Another sign is blaming the situation on parents because they cause stress, blaming others who trouble them."
By contrast, depression leads a person to attribute all problems to themselves. Dr. Oh Eun-young analyzed, "Looking at our Geumjjok, the child's face is sad. Tears seem about to well up at any moment. His voice is very soft. He is in a state of very low confidence."
Regarding Geumjjok's condition, Dr. Oh Eun-young said, "There are many signs such as declining memory and difficulty recalling words. In our Geumjjok's case, it is appropriate to view this as adolescent depression."
[Photo] Screenshot from the broadcast of 'These Days Parenting - My Golden Child'
[OSEN]