Youth are faking serious conditions such as bipolar disorder, depression and self-harming in an attempt to look cool and copy celebrity sufferers. The teens said stars such as Kerry Katona and Britney Spears, who have spoken about their problems, have been an influence. An alarming 34% admitted lying about having a mental illness in the past, according to online treatment service mentaline.com.
The website’s founder Jesper Buch said: “It’s shocking that so many young people think mental health problems are trendy. “It’s a very sensitive topic, so to see that many teenagers are blasé about the whole thing isn’t good at all. “Many young people are too quick to say ‘I’m depressed’ or try to gain attention by pretending to have some kind of personal issue. Your teenage years should be spent enjoying life, not persuasive people that you have issues that should be taken extremely seriously.”
No comments:
Post a Comment