Depression In Teens
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The teenage years are often full of awkwardness, confusion, pushing boundaries, testing limits, and an increased desire for independence. It’s a period of intense growth physically, emotionally, and intellectually, so it’s understandable that it can be a time of confusion and upheaval for teens and their families. Sometimes, teens undergoing these changes also develop emotional signs that mimic the signs and symptoms of depression. It’s important to understand and recognize teen depression so that you can get help for your children when they need it.
What is teen depression?
Teen depression is a serious mental health condition that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in activities. It affects how a teenager thinks, feels, and behaves, and it can cause emotional, functional, and physical problems. Although symptoms of depression can occur at any time in life, certain symptoms may be more common among teens than adults.
Teens often face issues such as peer pressure, stress from social media, academic expectations, hormonal fluctuations, and changing bodies, which can create emotional ups and downs. Signs of depression in teenagers should not be overlooked. Depression is a major mental health issue that influences how a person thinks, feels, or conducts themselves.
For some teens, negative emotions are more than just temporary feelings. It should be noted that symptoms of depression in a teen aren’t a weakness or something that simply can be overcome with willpower – depression might require long-term treatment.
Frequency by gender and demographic
While teen depression is more common in girls than their male counterparts, they are also more likely to receive treatment by seeing a professional or taking medication. Among teen girls who had recent major depressive episodes, 45% received treatment for depression over the past year. By comparison, just 33% of teen boys with recent depressive episodes received treatment.
What are the signs and symptoms?
Teen depression signs and symptoms often include a change from the teenager’s previous attitude and behavior that can cause significant distress and problems at school, at home, in social activities, or in other areas of life. Teen depression symptoms can vary in severity but paying attention to how emotions and behaviors change are common indicators that something may be wrong. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, symptoms of depression in a teenager may include the following:
Emotional changes
- 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
- Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities
- Loss of interest in, or conflict with, family and friends
- Low self-esteem
- Irritable or annoyed mood
- 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, or recalling memories
- Ongoing sense that life and the future are grim and bleak
- Frequent thoughts of death, dying, or suicide
Behavioral changes
- Exhaustion and loss of energy
- Insomnia or sleeping too much
- The sudden abandonment of once-beloved activities
- Spending the majority of their time alone
- Changes in appetite and eating habits – decreased appetite and weight loss, or increased cravings for food and weight gain
- Substance use, including alcohol abuse
- Agitation or restlessness – for example, pacing, hand-wringing, or an inability to sit still
- Slowed thinking, speech, or body movements
- Complaining about various aches and pains without an apparent medical cause
- Social isolation
- Poor school performance or frequent absences from school
- Paying less attention to personal hygiene or appearance
- Angry outbursts, disruptive or risky behavior, or other instances of acting out
- Self-harm – for example, cutting, burning, or excessive piercing or tattooing
- Making a suicide plan or a suicide attempt
Why is it so prominent?
There are multiple reasons why a teenager might become depressed. Teens can develop feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy related to their school performance, social status with peers, sexual orientation, or family life. Sometimes, depression symptoms in a teen may result from environmental stress. Whatever the cause, when friends, family, or activities the teen usually enjoys don’t help to alleviate their sadness or sense of isolation, there’s a chance that they are struggling with depression.
Depression statistics
- Teen depression affects about 20% of adolescents.
- Teen depression does not come with one single definitive cause, but rather several psychological, biological, and environmental risk factors.
- General teen depression symptoms include having an irritable or depressed mood for more than two weeks and demonstrating at least five of the aforementioned clinical symptoms and signs.
- Depression can lead to an increased risk of suicide, which is the third leading cause of death in youth 10-24 years of age in the United States. The number one killer of teenagers is car accidents.
- Interpersonal therapy (IPT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) are the two major approaches commonly used to treat teen depression, though family therapy sessions can also be helpful.
- Teen depression is a risk factor for developing a number of other mental health symptoms and disorders, including anxiety and substance abuse.
- In the U.S., depression is the leading cause of disability for people over 5 years of age.
Where do I get help?
Medication
Various medications are available for depression, most of which are prescription antidepressants. Antidepressants can present with varying effects on everyone, so a teen with depression may have to try several before finding one that works effectively for them. Consult with a therapist or doctor to find out if medication is an option and to find the most suitable medication for your teenager.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy can often be very helpful and effective for a variety of mental illnesses, including anxiety and depression. As with medication, one can pursue multiple different types of psychotherapy. Some of the more common examples are:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on changing negative thought patterns and teaching the individual to recognize and cope with such thoughts.
- Interpersonal therapy: Interpersonal therapy focuses on teaching individuals how to evaluate their interactions with others to improve how they relate to others.
- Psychodynamic therapy: Psychodynamic therapy focuses on an individual’s unconscious processes and on how to understand feelings stemming from past experiences.
Other treatment options
Some other treatment options include:
- Lifestyle changes: Some teens might find that exercise or healthful eating may relieve depression symptoms. For most, a healthy community and a nonjudgmental support group can help. These lifestyle changes might depend on how one is already living, and what changes will improve their mental health.
- Family counseling: Family counseling can help the family more effectively support the teen, and can also identify any family dynamics that may be contributing to the teen’s depression.
- Brain stimulation: Brain stimulation is a category of treatments, including electroconvulsive therapy, that stimulate the brain in an attempt to “reset” it. Doctors usually only recommend this approach when several other treatments have failed.
- Psychoeducation: This form of education about mental health and mental illness works most powerfully when the entire family learns together, and parents and caregivers commit to learning about a teen’s mental health needs. The more knowledge a family has about teen depression, often a family then learns how to help with the teen's symptom management.
- Complementary medicine: Some teens experience positive results from yoga, tai chi, acupuncture, chiropractic therapy, or massage. It is safer to use these options in conjunction with traditional depression therapies, rather than as a substitute.
Online therapy with BetterHelp
If you suspect your teen might be depressed or if you have questions about related mental health conditions, the licensed professionals at BetterHelp can assist you. Being a parent can be an exciting yet difficult journey, and you may not always know how to help your child most effectively. Parenting can also fill up your schedule, making the days very busy. As a result, you may not have enough time to drive to a therapy appointment. However, online therapy allows you to receive therapeutic support from the comfort of your home. You can connect with a therapist according to your schedule and address any concerns or mental health topics that may be weighing on you.
The effectiveness of online therapy
Online therapy can be helpful for people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. Teens who are depressed may need counseling to work through the problems they’re experiencing, but parents can also benefit from speaking with a professional. One study assessed the efficacy of a web-based intervention on parental psychological flexibility and emotion control. Results showed that participants experienced improved emotional control, decreased parental stress, and greater acceptance skills. Additionally, multiple parents “had a functional improvement in rewards of parenting.”
Takeaway
Can puberty cause depression?
Puberty alone doesn’t cause depression, but the physical and emotional challenges and hormonal conditions associated with puberty can increase the risk of developing the condition for some people. Young people may struggle to cope with the significant changes and transitions associated with puberty, leading to a wide range of mental health challenges like low self-esteem, social anxiety, and feelings of sadness. Additionally, family history, genetic predisposition, and other environmental factors can play a role in the development of depression during puberty.
How does depression affect students?
Mood disorders, like depression and bipolar disorder, can negatively impact a student’s motivation, energy level, and concentration, leading to poorer performance in school and other areas of life. Research links depression with higher dropout rates and lower grade point averages.
How many teens have a mental illness?
While statistics fluctuate depending on a number of variables, a recently published study from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) reveals that, on average, one in five adolescents report symptoms of anxiety or depression.
What percent of teens have anxiety?
According to Pew Research data, in 2019, 70% of teenagers said anxiety and depression is a significant problem among their peers. Additionally:
- 61% of teens surveyed said they felt considerable pressure to get good grades
- 29% said they felt pressure to look good
- 28% said they felt pressure to fit in socially
- 21% of teens said they felt pressure to be good at sports and be involved in extracurricular activities
Are kids more depressed than they used to be?
Research on the topic is ongoing, but the rise in rates of child and adolescent depression has prompted scientists to study depression in kids more closely. While factors like socioeconomic status, race, gender identification, and other causes may be responsible for kids’ depression in different quantities, some experts posit the trend may be most strongly associated with a correlating rise in smartphone and social media use.
Is youth mental health getting worse?
Reports from the American Psychological Association (APA) suggest that rates of mental health issues in children have reached crisis levels for many reasons. While mental health among young people was already trending downward throughout the decade before, rates plummeted even more during the COVID-19 pandemic era due to social isolation, academic disruptions, or physical or emotional abuse at home.
During this time, some kids experienced crises associated with the impact that COVID-19 had on the family, such as the death of a caregiver from the virus or economic upheaval due to loss of employment. In addition, social media influences, mass violence, climate change, natural disasters, political polarization, issues around racism and gender discrimination, and other stressors that children typically face contributed to a significant decline in kid’s mental health.
Are schools doing enough for mental health?
Most schools recognize the importance of mental health and have taken steps to support the well-being of their students. However, there are some barriers that may prevent schools from providing practical, long-term assistance. For example, some schools might have limited access to mental health care professionals, long wait times for counseling services, or reliance on teachers and staff with little or no training on how to address mental health issues.
Additionally, there is often a stigma surrounding mental health that may prevent students from seeking help or talking to others about their struggles. In some cases, parents do not feel that the schools should be involved in mental health at all and oppose efforts for funding and resources in the academic environment.
What are the causes of depression?
Research suggests that depression is likely caused by a combination of factors that can fluctuate in influence throughout the course of an individual’s life. Some of these factors, such as genes and environmental triggers, react with each other to cause depression. Some of the most common causes and risk factors for depression include:
- Family history: Studies show a strong connection between heritability and depression, with individuals with a parent or sibling with major depression having a two to three times greater risk of developing the disorder than those without.
- Brain structure and functioning: Imbalances in certain neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine can contribute to the development of depression. Dysfunction in some brain regions involved in mood regulation, such as the amygdala, can also play a key role.
- Stressful life events: Traumatic experiences like the loss of a loved one, abuse, or a significant life change can act as a catalyst to depression for some people.
- Medical conditions: Chronic illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, or chronic pain, can increase the risk of developing depression.
- Substance abuse: Substance abuse and mental health are often closely linked, and the misuse of such substances can contribute to the onset or worsening of depression.
- Hormonal changes: Fluctuations in hormones, such as during puberty, pregnancy, or menopause, can impact mood and increase the risk of depression.
- Personality traits: Research indicates that people with certain personality traits may be more predisposed to depression, such as neuroticism, low self-esteem, chronic pessimism, or perfectionism.
Is it normal for a teenager to feel depressed?
It isn’t uncommon for teens to experience feelings of sadness, stress, and mood swings throughout adolescence. However, persistent or severe symptoms that interfere with quality of life or daily functioning might indicate a more serious mental health issue. Some warning signs of depression in teens that parents should be aware of include:
- Persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or emptiness
- Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
- Changes in appetite or weight
- Sleep disturbances such as insomnia or hypersomnolence
- Fatigue or low energy
- Difficulty concentrating or problem-solving
- Feelings of guilt or shame without a direct cause
- Persistent thoughts of suicide or death
- If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Some symptoms of depression might present differently in teens than adults, however. Parents with teenagers experiencing depression may notice:
- Irritability and anger: Irritability is often more common in teens with depression than sadness. Teens with depression may become easily frustrated, hostile, or prone to angry outbursts.
- Extreme sensitivity: Teens with depression may be more predisposed to low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness, creating excessive defensiveness in the face of perceived criticism, failure, and rejection.
- Aches and pains without an apparent cause: Physical discomfort like headaches and stomachaches may be more common in teens with depression than their adult counterparts. If a medical examination doesn’t reveal a physical health problem associated with these symptoms, they might be a sign of depression.
- Social withdrawal: Teens with depression might socialize less than they used to, withdraw from their parents, or begin socializing with new people their parents don’t know. While social isolation is a typical symptom of depression in all ages, teenagers might be more likely to stay connected in select relationships.
Can school cause depression?
While school isn’t a cause of depression, strictly speaking, academic stress can contribute significantly to depression symptoms like sadness, anxiety, and low self-esteem in some students. Depression associated with school may stem from pressures to excel academically, social pressures, bullying, peer relationships, and unrealistic expectations from teachers or parents. Additionally, the transition to a new school or pressures associated with extracurricular activities can add to the stress and anxiety some students experience.
While school can be a significant source of mental health problems for some, depression is typically influenced by a variety of factors. If you or a friend or family member is experiencing symptoms of depression, seek mental health care from a professional for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
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