Depression can result if homeschoolers isolate themselves and do not get out of the home to learn with and socialize with other homeschoolers. The cause of this is more from isolation that homeschooling. Depression can worsen if already depressed people who homeschool also isolate themselves and homeschool in a bubble. Because "homeschoolers as a whole, do not raise their children in social isolation," according to the Home School Legal Defense Association, this occurrence is rare. The remedy to this problem is to join homeschooling groups and make a concerted effort to do more outdoor and group activities.
There are parents who have managed to homeschool in spite of being depressed. There are 17 million people facing depression each year with women being twice as likely to experience it then men, according to Psychology Information Online. Homeschoolers don't escape this serious issue. Still, depressed parents who don't homeschool manage to still raise their children and many of them do it well. Depressed homeschooling parents also can be successful with the help of online homeschool programs, prepared homeschool curriculum that allows children to be more independent and homeschool support groups.
Teens are prone to depression, and this does not exclude homeschoolers. The good news is that because homeschooling families spend more time together, parents will recognize teen depression sooner than the typical family might. This allows them to act faster by analyzing and adjusting schedules to alleviate pressure or to contact a medical professional sooner.
Public children who are depressed can find relief through homeschooling. Homeschooling can remove children from stressful situations that they are not able to handle at the time, such as bullying or overloaded schedules. After a year or two of homeschooling, many children can return to their previous lives. In other cases, they continue homeschooling, as they find they are thriving.
Awareness is the key to overcoming depression. A family needs to be able to recognize signs and symptoms of depression, so they can seek treatment and make adjustments to the child's education that will help the depressed person, be it parent or child.