Teen depression is a serious mental health problem that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in activities. It affects how your teenager thinks, feels and behaves, and it can cause emotional, functional and physical problems. Although depression can occur at any time in life, symptoms may be different between teens and adults.
Issues such as peer pressure, academic expectations and changing bodies can bring a lot of ups and downs for teens. But for some teens, the lows are more than just temporary feelings _ they're a symptom of depression.
Teen depression isn't a weakness or something that can be overcome with willpower _ it can have serious consequences and requires long-term treatment. For most teens, depression symptoms ease with treatment such as medication and psychological counseling.
Teen depression signs and symptoms include a change from the teenager's previous attitude and behavior that can cause significant distress and problems at school or home, in social activities, or in other areas of life.
Depression symptoms can vary in severity, but changes in your teen's emotions and behavior may include the examples below.
_Feelings of sadness, which can include crying spells for no apparent reason
_Frustration or feelings of anger, even over small matters
_Feeling hopeless or empty
_Irritable or annoyed mood
_Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities
_Loss of interest in, or conflict with, family and friends
_Low self-esteem
_Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
_Fixation on past failures or exaggerated self-blame or self-criticism
_Extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure, and the need for excessive reassurance
_Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things
_Ongoing sense that life and the future are grim and bleak
_Frequent thoughts of death, dying or suicide
WATCH FOR THESE CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR:
_Tiredness and loss of energy
_Insomnia or sleeping too much
_Changes in appetite _ decreased appetite and weight loss, or increased cravings for food and weight gain
_Use of alcohol or drugs
_Agitation or restlessness _ for example, pacing, hand-wringing or an inability to sit still
_Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements
_Frequent complaints of unexplained body aches and headaches, which may include frequent visits to the school nurse
_Social isolation
_Poor school performance or frequent absences from school
_Less attention to personal hygiene or appearance
_Angry outbursts, disruptive or risky behavior, or other acting-out behaviors
_Self-harm _ for example, cutting, burning, or excessive piercing or tattooing
_Making a suicide plan or a suicide attempt
WHAT'S DIFFERENT FROM USUAL BEHAVIOR?
It can be difficult to tell the difference between ups and downs that are just part of being a teenager and teen depression. Talk with your teen. Try to determine whether he or she seems capable of managing challenging feelings, or if life seems overwhelming.
WHEN TO SEE A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER
If depression signs and symptoms continue, begin to interfere in your teen's life, or cause you to have concerns about suicide or your teen's safety, talk to a health care provider or a mental health professional trained to work with adolescents. Your family medicine specialist or pediatrician is a good place to start. Or your teen's school may recommend someone.
Depression symptoms likely won't get better on their own _ and they may get worse or lead to other problems if untreated. Depressed teenagers may be at risk of suicide, even if signs and symptoms don't appear to be severe.
If you're a teen and you think you may be depressed _ or you have a friend who may be depressed _ don't wait to get help. Talk to a health care provider such as your health care provider or school nurse. Share your concerns with a parent, a close friend, a spiritual leader, a teacher or someone else you trust.
WHEN TO GET EMERGENCY HELP
Suicide is often associated with depression. If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Also consider these options if you're having suicidal thoughts:
_Call your mental health professional.
_Call a suicide hotline. In the U.S., call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or use its webchat on suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat.
_Seek help from your primary health care provider.
_Reach out to a close friend or loved one.
_Contact a minister, spiritual leader or someone else in your faith community.
Never ignore comments or concerns about suicide. Always take action to get help. If a loved one or friend is in danger of attempting suicide or has made an attempt:
_Make sure someone stays with that person.
_Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
_Or, if you can do so safely, take the person to the nearest hospital emergency room.
POSSIBLE CAUSES
It's not known exactly what causes depression, but a variety of issues may be involved. These include:
_Brain chemistry. Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring brain chemicals that carry signals to other parts of your brain and body. When these chemicals are abnormal or impaired, the function of nerve receptors and nerve systems changes, leading to depression.
_Hormones. Changes in the body's balance of hormones may be involved in causing or triggering depression.
_Inherited traits. Depression is more common in people whose blood relatives _ such as a parent or grandparent _ also have the condition.
_Early childhood trauma. Traumatic events during childhood, such as physical or emotional abuse, or loss of a parent, may cause changes in the brain that make a person more susceptible to depression.
_Learned patterns of negative thinking. Teen depression may be linked to learning to feel helpless _ rather than learning to feel capable of finding solutions for life's challenges.
MANY FACTORS INCREASE THE RISK OF DEVELOPING OR TRIGGERING TEEN DEPRESSION:
_Having issues that negatively impact self-esteem, such as obesity, peer problems, long-term bullying or academic problems
_Having been the victim or witness of violence, such as physical or sexual abuse
_Having other mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder, an anxiety disorder, a personality disorder, anorexia or bulimia
_Having a learning disability or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
_Having ongoing pain or a chronic physical illness such as cancer, diabetes or asthma
_Having certain personality traits, such as low self-esteem or being overly dependent, self-critical or pessimistic
_Abusing alcohol, nicotine or other drugs
_Being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender in an unsupportive environment
Family history and issues with family or others may also increase your teenager's risk of depression, such as:
_Having a parent, grandparent or other blood relative with depression, bipolar disorder or alcohol use problems
_Having a family member who died by suicide
_Having a dysfunctional family and family conflict
_Having experienced recent stressful life events, such as parental divorce, parental military service or the death of a loved one
COMPLICATIONS
Untreated depression can result in emotional, behavioral and health problems that affect every area of your teenager's life. Complications related to teen depression may include, for example:
_Alcohol and drug misuse
_Academic problems
_Family conflicts and relationship difficulties
_Involvement with the juvenile justice system
_Suicide attempts or suicide
PREVENTION
There's no sure way to prevent depression. However, these strategies may help. Encourage your teenager to:
_Take steps to control stress, increase resilience and boost self-esteem to help handle issues when they arise
_Reach out for friendship and social support, especially in times of crisis
_Get treatment at the earliest sign of a problem to help prevent depression from worsening
_Maintain ongoing treatment, if recommended, even after symptoms let up, to help prevent a relapse of depression symptoms
