The document is a student portfolio on depression among teenagers in Trinidad and Tobago. It includes an introduction outlining the purpose of examining this issue and discussing the author's personal connection. It also includes a table of contents, preface, reflective short story, and analysis. The reflective short story, titled "Beena's Dilemma", depicts the life of a teenager named Beena who is suffering from depression due to bullying at school and abuse at home from her alcoholic father. After being verbally abused by her father one night, Beena attempts suicide by slashing her wrists. She is rushed to the hospital and survives. Her parents realize their role in her depression and seek counselling and therapy to help Beena

1. DEPRESSION AMONG TEENAGERS
IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
NAME: SHARANA Z.T.MOHAMMED
SCHOOL: PRINCES TOWN WEST SECONDARY
CENTRE NUMBER: 160110
CANDIDATE NUMBER:

2. Table of Contents
General Introduction........................................................................................................................1
Preface..............................................................................................................................................3
Reflective Piece................................................................................................................................4
Analysis of Reflective Piece ............................................................................................................8
Conclusion .....................................................................................................................................10
Bibliography...................................................................................................................................11

3. 1
GeneralIntroduction
In Trinidad, today’s youths are faced with many social and academic issues. The need to
“fit in” and be accepted by their peers or to constantly excel can lead to psychological problems.
Being a youth I can identify with these issues, hence the reason I have chosen “Depression
among Teenagers in Trinidad” as my theme for this portfolio.
The purpose of this portfolio is to enlighten the public about the detrimental effects
depression can have on teenagers so they can identify the symptoms and seek help on the
person’s behalf.
My portfolio consists of two main sections – Exposition and Reflection. For the reflective
section, I have written a short story which depicts the life of a depressed teenager, whom with
the proper assistance, is able to overcome it in the end, thus aiding in reinforcing my purpose.
For the exposition section, both primary and secondary sources were used which delivered
substantial evidence on the symptoms, effects and methods in dealing with depression.
Being a Science student preparing for a major exam, I can identify with the pressures of
academics and the stress it causes which can result in Depression. From my Biology studies I
have learnt that the human body can not only be damaged physically but mentally as well;
depression is a mental disorder which affects a person’s health. It has always been my goal to
pursue a degree in Medical Sciences after which I will specialize in Psychology since I have
always been passionate about helping people. Upon my specialization in Psychology, I will be
encountering many people, some of which may be victims of depression. Therefore the
information gathered in this study would be beneficial to me as it would give me a better
understanding of depression to aid in my career.

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Finally, a close friend of mine is affected by depression. She recently lost her mother in a
vehicular accident and her father is an alcoholic. She is struggling to cope with her life and it
hurts that I can’t do anything to help her. Upon completing this study, my aim is to obtain the
vital information required to help make a change in her life so she can conquer depression.

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Preface
Many people are unaware of the factors contributing to depression and the gruesome
effects it has on an individual. As such, the short story entitled, “Beena’s Dilemma”, written for
my reflective piece, will clearly highlight the effects depression has on a teenager, the symptoms
of depression and the possible ways in dealing with depression.
Yearly, the number of depressed teenagers throughout the world increase. Thus the
intended audience for this reflective piece are teenagers, their parents, their siblings and also
teachers of secondary schools.
I hope that my short story can be published in magazines pertaining to parents and
teenagers, on the different newspapers of Trinidad and uploaded via social media sites. By
having it published via these various sources, more people would be aware of the signs of
depression and the appalling effects it can have on an individual. They would also be able to
identify if a teenager is showing symptoms of depression and the necessary steps they can take in
assisting them. Also, teenagers suffering with depression will be able to read my story and know
they are not the only ones with this affliction. Depression knows no class nor boundary but once
detected, it can be cured with proper medical treatment.

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Reflective Piece
Beena’s Dilemma
It was a blissful Friday afternoon. Sounds of children’s laughter echoed the school’s
compound. Everyone gathered in his/her different cliques except for Beena. Lately she had been
isolating herself from everyone. Beena had gotten into the routine of going to the back of the
school every lunchtime and sitting by herself under the tamarind tree, listening to music from her
I-pod at the highest volume.
After an hour, the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch, however Beena did not budge.
During sixth period, Mrs Razack, the class form teacher noticed Beena sitting under the tree and
immediately scolded her for not going to class.
“Young lady, take off those headphones immediately! Why aren’t you in class? I have been
noticing how distracted you seem lately. Pull yourself together or else you will find yourself in
trouble!” she exclaimed.
“Miss, ah sorry. I was listenin’ to music and I didn’ hear de bell so I didn’ realize lunchtime
over. I goin’ to class now” mumbled Beena.
Mrs Razack felt sorry and allowed her to go but instead of going to class, Beena went to the
bathroom and remained there until school was dismissed.
Later that evening Beena had to go for Biology lessons which she was dreading. Upon
arrival, her face dropped and her shoulders slouched as she slowly walked towards the class. She
was greeted by the group of children who were bullying her ever since she started lessons. She
tried to avoid them by sitting at the back of the class, gulping a couple of pills to ease the stress
of the next couple of hours.

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“De pompous gyal reach” said Joshua, one of the bullies.
“Oh gosh yeah boy, yuh eh see how she gone and sit down by sheself as doh she too good to talk
to we” said another.
“She doh have notin’ goin’ for she but she playin’ as doh she is some kinda bes ting” said
Crystal, another bully.
Beena tried her best to ignore them but it seemed never ending. The constant negative comments
were overwhelming; she grabbed her hand and pierced her nails into it as the pain made her feel
better.
It was five thirty when lessons had finally finished. However Beena grew even more
depressed as she knew what was awaiting for her when she reached home. Beena’s father was an
alcoholic and every Friday, after work, he would arrive home in a drunken state, picking an
argument with everyone about everything. As she approached the front gate, he rushed up to her
and started abusing her.
“Dis is de hour yuh go come home? Every month ah have to pay ah set ah money for yuh
lessons, bes yuh stop school and look for ah work” he yelled.
Beena’s mother, a meek, frail woman tried stopping him but he pushed her to the floor. Beena
could take it no more and ran inside crying.
“Why life does be so hard? I is only sixteen, why dis happenin’ to me? I kyaa take dis no
more”, she thought.
In a daze, Beena grabbed the knife she had hidden in her drawer and slashed both wrists. At that
very moment Beena’s mother walked into her room to check on her.
“Oh God Beena, what yuh do to yuhself chile?” exclaimed her mother in disbelief.
“Lomas come here and see what yuh cause yuh daughter to do” she shouted to her husband.

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Lomas stumbled into her room and upon seeing his daughter lying on the floor, bleeding,
he screamed, “Beena honey, wha yuh do to yuhself?”
Beena was unresponsive. Her mother called for an ambulance and she was rushed to the
hospital. The doctors worked feverishly to save her. Her parents paced frantically in the waiting
room, thoughts about how they both neglected and abused their daughter raced through their
minds.
“How she is doctor? She go make it?” questioned Beena’s mother anxiously.
“She came in the nick of time! Any later and she wouldn’t have survived” he replied.
“I have called one of our child Psychologists to speak with you and answer any questions you
may have” he further stated.
The doctor then introduced them to Dr Smith.
“Do you have any idea why she would do something like this?” Dr Smith asked.
“This is a serious matter, your daughter’s actions is that of a child depressed and fed up with
life” he further explained.
“Is my fault doc. I quarrel with she just now. I din’ know she go react dis way” Lomas stated.
Beena’s mother then explained to him the events that led up to this situation.
“Well, you both need to change your attitudes towards your daughter. Another episode like this
and it could be fatal” the doctor explained.
Beena’s mother started crying. She turned to her husband and said, “Yuh see what yuh drinkin’
does cause?! Yuh nearly kill yuh daughter”
Ashamed of himself, Lomas dropped to his knees and begged for forgiveness.
“Your daughter would need help in overcoming this ordeal” Dr Smith advised.

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“The best form of treatment would be counselling and therapy to prevent this situation from
recurring” he explained.
After Beena was discharged from the hospital, her parents discussed the situation with
her. They knew their daughter needed help to overcome her problems of depression and
therefore took the doctor’s advice. Medical assistance and counselling became part of the
family’s routine as they began to heal.

10. 8
Analysis of Reflective Piece
My reflective piece is a short story which involves characters of various social
backgrounds and ages. As such, the features of a language such as Dialectal Variation and
Communicative Behaviours can be analyzed.
Caribbean Standard English is the official language of Trinidad and Tobago. Dialectal
Variation showcases the varieties of languages used and are divided into three main parts of the
dialectal spectrum. Basilect represents the lower end of the dialectal spectrum and is seen
throughout Beena’s conversation with her teacher: “I didn’ hear de bell”, by the students at
Beena’s lessons: “De pompous gyal reach”, and lastly by Beena’s parents: “Dis is de hour yuh
go come home?” One feature of this form of Creole is the substitution of “th” with “d”. Other
features include the omission of the auxiliary verb and the phonic sound of “gyal”, spoken in
English Creole as opposed to “girl”, as pronounced in Standard English. The normal use of
Basilect by Beena, her peers and parents is an indicator of their background and current situation.
Most students in Trinidad and Tobago use Basilect in situations where they feel comfortable,
such as conversations with friends. This usage often extends to the teachers they frequently
interact with, as depicted here. Also, the ease at which Basilect is spoken by Beena’s parents
indicates that this dialect is the norm in their family as opposed to Standard English and as such,
they use English Creole to efficiently and comfortably express their feelings and emotions.
In contrast, the teacher and both doctors use a standard form of English, on the Acrolect
end of the spectrum. This is depicted by the teacher’s speech with Beena: “Take off those
headphones immediately”, and is seen throughout the conversations of both doctors with Beena’s

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parents: “This is a serious matter”. Standard English is used by these adults as it reflects on their
professional capacity and it is appropriate for communicating the gravity of the various contexts.
Communicative Behaviors are generally done unconsciously but play an essential role in
communicating emotions that would otherwise not be verbally expressed. This is firstly
represented through Proxemics, the use of space, when Beena sat by herself under the tamarind
tree, indicating disconnection from her peers. It’s also seen through Vocalics, the use of volume
and pitch, when Beena replied to Mrs. Razack in a subdued tone, implying a feeling of despair.
Lastly, it’s depicted through Kinesics, the use of body language, when Beena’s “face dropped”
and her “shoulders slouched”, indicating her dejected mood. Beena doesn’t directly state that she
is depressed but the aforementioned cues suggest it.

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Conclusion
In conclusion, I strongly believe that more needs to be done to assist depressed teens in
my country. I sincerely hope that the information contained in this portfolio would be of help to
the citizens of Trinidad. Teen depression is a grave issue and I believe that parents, teachers and
even teenagers can use this information to help reduce and conquer the battle of depression. I
don’t want to see my fellow youths in Trinidad continue to suffer with depression as it prevents
them from prospering in life. Everyone deserves an equal opportunity and no one should be
limited in fulfilling their aspirations because of depression.

13. 11
Bibliography
Gordon, Z. (2012, October 10). More help,empathy needed for depressed kids. Retrieved from Trinidad
and Tobago Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2012-10-09/more-help-empathy-
needed-depressed-kids
Staff, M. C. (2012, November 7). Teen Depression. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/teen-depression/basics/causes/con-20035222
Staff, M. C. (2014, February 21). Depression (major depressive disorder).Retrieved from Mayo Clinic:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/basics/definition/con-20032977

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Speech
“I cannot take this anymore”, sobbed Ria, bringing the sharpened razor closer to her wrists.
“When will my life get better?” Bullying! Abusive parents! This is the only way out. Ten
minutes later Ria was found unconscious by her parents.
Good morning Ms. What would make Ria react this way? DEPRESSION. The topic I have
chosen for my portfolio is, Depression among Teenagers in Trinidad and Tobago.
What is Depression?”
Depression is a serious illness caused by changes in brain chemistry. According to the Mayo
Clinic website, it can be defined as a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness. It
affects how a person feels, thinks, behaves and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical
problems. In many people, depression may be caused as a result of changes in hormone levels,
genetics, certain medical conditions, stress, grief or difficult life circumstances. In teenagers,
depression can also be caused by these factors. However, the main factors which result in
teenage depression are – peer pressure, academics, social issues, family conflicts, low self-
esteem, death of a close relative/friend, bullying and abuse.
Depression is a serious problem that impacts every aspect of a teen’s life. Left untreated,
teenage depression can lead to problems at home and school; drug abuse; self-loathing – OR
WORSE, SUICIDE.
Furthermore many people aren’t aware whether or not the teenager they are interacting with is
showing symptoms of depression. Some symptoms include – withdrawal from family and peers,
interest in death or dying, the use of alcohol and drugs, sleep disorders, a change in eating habits,
apathy, fatigue, anxiety and locking their bedroom doors and staying there for hours.
Focusing on depressed teenagers in my country, I aimed to conduct an interview with a teenager
suffering from depression as my primary source of information. However this proved to be a
challenge to me because most teenagers suffering with depression tend to stay by themselves and
are reluctant to talk about it with others. Despite being faced with this challenge, I was luckily
able to conduct an interview with a depressed teenager in my neighbourhood. During the
interview, which was conducted for about 15 minutes, I asked her, “What it feels like to be
depressed?” she hesitantly replied, “It feels like drowning, except you can see everyone else
around you breathing”. SHOCKED by these words, I had to know what caused this pretty
young girl from a respectable family to be depressed. She then explained that her life isn’t easy.
At school, she is constantly bullied because of her overweight problem and at home, her parents
argue incessantly thus taking out their frustration on her. She is always pressured into obtaining
high grades which she struggles to obtain and when she doesn’t obtain them, she is abused both
verbally and physically by her parents. My heart went out to her, but I was curious to know how
she dealt with her depression so I further questioned her about the methods she used in coping
with her problems. She reluctantly explained that in an attempt to deal with her depression, she
often consumes alcohol and cuts herself to take her mind off the stress. I was amazed by
everything I heard and offered to help in whatever way I can but she just nodded hopelessly.

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Since the information gained was collected via a one on one interview with an actual victim of
teenage depression, it was concluded to be valid and reliable since it allowed me to get an inside
view in the mind and life of a depressed teen.
Keeping my focus on depressed teenagers, I strived to collect various articles pertaining to
teen depression from the different newspapers in Trinidad. From the various articles I collected, I
selected the one which I thought to be most appropriate for my secondary source of information.
The article entitled “More help, empathy needed for depressed kids” found in The Trinidad
Guardian on October 10th 2012, featured the words of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr
Jacqueline Sharpe. She said that “international averages show that five per cent of
children in the general population at any given time suffer from depression”. She further
stated that she was not aware of any studies on the prevalence of depression among
children and adolescents locally, but she estimates that the local rate may be similar to or
slightly higher than international estimates. She noted, “Children who are under stress, for
instance children living in situations of chronic domestic violence or situations of
community stress, comes to mind. Kids who have attention, learning, conduct or anxiety
disorders and children who experience loss are all at risk for depression”. “All of these
situations exist for children here,” said Sharpe. Dr Sharpe is currently a consulting child
and adolescent psychiatrist with the Ministry of Health of Trinidad and Tobago and an
associate lecturer in psychiatry with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of the West
Indies. She was also the President of the Family Planning Association of TrinidadandTobago,
where she currently serves on the Board as an advisory director. Therefore, this source of
information was deemed to be valid and credible. Due to her qualifications in the field,
she is able to understand the way in which teenagers think thus assisting in the validity of
the article. Additionally, in obtaining the various articles from the newspapers, I faced many
challenges because most of the articles I encountered contained no evidence about depressed
victims therefore I was unsure whether or not the sources of information were valid. I also faced
the challenge of acquiring the credentials of the respective writers to ensure validity.
Personally, I suffer from a mild case of depression and I could understand the way these
teenagers feel. Often teenagers show the symptoms of depression however it’s bypassed by their
parents as their parents feel as though the symptoms displayed by their child are due to the child
encountering different phases while growing up. Depression is a very serious issue and as
stated in the articles I was evaluating, it can sometimes lead to suicide if not properly dealt with.
There is a cure for this gruesome illness and unlike adults, who have the ability to seek
assistance on their own, teenagers must rely on parents, teachers, or other caregivers to
recognise their suffering and get them the treatment they need. There are a variety of methods
used to treat depression, including medications and psychotherapy. So if you have an adolescent
in your life, it’s important to learn what teen depression looks like and what to do if you spot the
warning signs.
I hope that this speech and my reflective piece will make people more aware of how serious
teen depression is and the signs and symptoms of it. I don’t want to see my fellow youths in
Trinidad continue to suffer with depression as it prevents them from prospering in life. Everyone
deserves an equal opportunity and no one should ever have to deal with depression. With the
right guidance and proper help, this disease can be cured. Thank you.

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