Teen Depression
During the teen years adolescents are faced with social pressures, school anxieties, and parental expectations. The teenage years can be a turbulent and stressful time. When stresses become overwhelming they can lead to depression.
Symptoms of depression vary from teen to teen. Teens with depression may act differently than adults with depression. Teen usually tend to be irritable rather than sad.
The more common symptoms include:
- Lack of motivation
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Changes in personal hygiene or appearance
- Prolonged sadness and crying
- Lack of concentration or may be extremely forgetful
- Frequent complaints about physical illness such as headaches and stomach aches
- Irritability, inappropriate anger or rage
- Loss of interest in activities that they once enjoyed
- Changes in eating - eating too little or too much
- Sudden or significant weight loss or weight gain
- Changes in sleeping habits - sleeping too little or too much
- Skipping school, sudden decline in grades
- Low self esteem, feelingworthlessness
- Hopelessness
- Helplessness
- Alcohol or drug abuse
- Talks about death or suicide
- Withdrawal from friends and family
Depression in teens usually goes undiagnosed and can lead to self medicating through drugs or alcohol. Furthermore, depression is the leading cause of suicide. In a recent national survey of high school students, nearly 20% of teens thought about attempting suicide, and more than 8% made a suicide attempt. An estimated twenty percent of teenagers will experience depression at some point before the reach adulthood. Twenty to forty percent of those teens will experience more than one depressive episode within a two year period and seventy percent will have more than one depressive episode before they reach adulthood.
If you think your child may be suffering from depression, the first thing to do is not to blame yourself. Then talk to your pediatrician, get an evaluation from a professional who understands depression so you can make a decision about what to do.
