Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Teen Depression

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.

Symptoms

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.

Emotional changes

Be alert for emotional changes, such as:

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

Behavioral changes

Watch for changes in behavior, such as:

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 attempts.

What's normal and what's not

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 doctor

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 doctor or a mental health professional trained to work with adolescents. Your teen's family doctor 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 doctor or school nurse. Share your concerns with a parent, a close friend, a spiritual leader, a teacher or someone else you trust.

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.

Risk factors

Many factors increase the risk of developing or triggering teen depression, including:

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

Teenage depression is a growing problem in today's society and is often a major contributing factor for most adolescent problems. The statistics about teenage runaways, alcoholism, drug problems, pregnancy, eating disorders, and suicide are alarming. The common link to all of these crises is often depression. The path into adolescence is a difficult one, and the choices a teen makes can leave lasting scars on the lives of an entire generation of young men and women. There is a growing realization that teenage depression can be life changing, even life- threatening.

Depression can be described in many ways. Its main description is that it is a serious mental disorder in which a person suffers long periods of sadness, loneliness, and other negative feelings. Teenagers have always been vulnerable to depression for a variety of reasons. It's a confusing time of life because a teen's body is changing along with their relationships. Teenagers constantly teeter-totter between striving for independence from family and still trying to be a child and depend on it. But today's teens face an additional challenge: They're growing up in a world quite different from that of their parent's youth. Adolescents today are faced with stresses that were unknown to previous generations and are dealing with them in an often self – destructive way.

I am writing an abstract for the article Assessment and Treatment of Adolescent Depression and Suicidality taken from the Journal of Mental Health Counseling. It states that "from 1980-1997, the rate of suicide among 15-19 year old adolescents increased by 11% and among those aged 10-14 by 109%"

The thought of suicide is most commonly brought on by depression. Some types of significant loss can be a factor in triggering teenage depression. Loss can be due to death, divorce, separation, or loss of a family member, important friend or romantic partners.Teenage depression is a growing problem in today's society and is often a major contributing factor for most adolescent problems. The statistics about teenage runaways, alcoholism, drug problems, pregnancy, eating disorders, and suicide are alarming. The common link to all of these crises is often depression. The path into adolescence is a difficult one, and the choices a teen makes can leave lasting scars on the lives of an entire generation of young men and women. There is a growing realization that teenage depression can be life changing, even life- threatening.

Teenage depression is increasing briskly and often being treated erroneously. This is a major problem because depression has fatal effects on adolescents. It was stated by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, that depression is experience by 20% of people during their teen years. Each year, there are stories of thousands of adolescents committing suicide. There are also various causes of depression which lead to disastrous effects that might impair a teenager’s life. Every human being can infrequently feel down, yet depression is a constant feeling which is considered to be a mental disorder. There are two major diverse forms of depression; major and minor depression. Major depression affects one’s life from functioning normally. For instance, it affects a person’s daily routine as it also affects one’s capability to sleep, eat, and enjoy delightful events. Furthermore, minor depression is not permanent; it lasts for at least 2 weeks. Minor depression eventually leads to major depression. It is necessary for one to know the causes and symptoms of teenage depression in order to know how to avoid and confront it. Teenage depression has many different causes; this paper will discuss some of these causes. This topic is considered to be important because depression is a regular disease that affects teenagers. This essay will discuss the symptoms of depression and demonstrate some of the environmental causes of depression that alter teenagers’ lives. Some of the causes are; extreme trauma, family issues. Moreover, it demonstrates genetic causes; inherited depression. It also examines the effects of adolescents’ depression. This essay ventilates some of the previous recommended solutions on how to treat depression. Finally, it reviews the best solution acquired for teenagers to treat depression.

Teenage Depression Essay

Teenage depression is a growing problem in today’s society and is often a major contributing factor for a multitude of adolescent problems. The statistics about teenage runaways, alcoholism, drug problems, pregnancy, eating disorders, and suicide are alarming. Even more startling are the individual stories behind these statistics because the young people involved come from all communities, all economic levels, and all home situations-anyone’s family. The common link is often depression. For the individuals experiencing this crisis, the statistics become relatively meaningless. The difficult passage into adolescence and early adulthood can leave lasting scars on the lives and psyches of an entire generation of young men and women. There is growing realization that teenage depression can be life- changing, even life threatening. Depression is a murky pool of feelings and actions scientists have been trying to understand since the days of Hippocrates, who called it a “black bile. ” It has been called “the common cold of mental illness and, like the cold, it’s difficult to quantify. If feelings of great sadness or agitation last for much more than two weeks, it may be depression. For a long time, people who were feeling depressed were told to “snap out of it. ” According to a study done by National Institute of Mental Health, half of all Americans still view depression as a personal weakness or character flaw. Depression, however, is considered a medical disorder and can affect thoughts, feelings, physical health, and behaviors. It interferes with daily life such as school, friends, and family. Clinical depression is the most incapacitating of all chronic conditions in terms of social functioning. Teenagers have always been vulnerable to depression for a variety of reasons.

It’s a confusing time of life because a teen’s body is changing along with their relationships. Teenagers constantly vacillate between strivings for independence from family and regressions to childish dependence on it. But today’s teens face an additional challenge: They’re growing up in a world quite different from that of their parent’s youth. Adolescents today are faced with stresses that were unknown to previous generations and are dealing with them in an often self-destructive way. Contemporary society has changed the perception of teenagers.

New parental lifestyles, combined with changes in the economy, often give less time and energy for parents to devote to their offspring. Society all too often views teens for what they can be instead of for who they are. Who they are becomes the identity of teenagers today. “They are confronted with the ambiguity of education, the dissolution of family, the hostile commercialism of society, and the insecurity of relationships. ” This identity is fragile and is threatened by fears of rejection, feelings of failure, and of being different.

These young people face stress in school as well with resources dwindling and campus violence and harassment increasing. Their sexual awakening comes in the age of AIDS, when sex can kill. In summary, teens today feel less safe, less empowered and less hopeful than we did a generation ago. Depression is a common concomitant to this struggle. It strikes 5% of teens and about 2% of children under 12. One in three adolescents in the nineties are at risk for serious depression. Depression is the result of a complex mix of social, psychological, physical, and environmental factors. Teens with depressed parents are two to three times more likely to develop major depression. Genetic factors play a substantial but not overwhelming role in causing depression. Some type of significant loss can be a factor in triggering teenage depression. Loss can be due to death, divorce, separation, or loss of a family member, important friend or romantic interest. Loss can also be subtler such as the loss of childhood, of a familiar way of being, of goals through achievement, or of boundaries and guidelines. Gender differences are becoming apparent, with girls having more difficulty with depression.

Studies show girls are three times more likely than boys to suffer depression. A university study showed a close link between depression and negative body image and girls are usually more self-conscious about their bodies than boys. The reasons for depression are not always clear-cut. Although some depressed, even suicidal teenagers come from extremely troubled backgrounds with a lifetime of difficulties at home and at school, the vast majority of depressed teens are not without resources, support, or love. They simply find, for a variety of reasons, that they’re feeling overwhelmed by a sensation of hopelessness and helplessness.

It is imperative to realize that depression can happen to teenagers, even those who have everything going for them. It can happen to the best and brightest of young people. It’s hard to detect depression in teens because it’s a developmental stage characterized by considerable anger and withdrawal. Adolescents don’t necessarily look sad and depressed and its normal for teens to have mood swings but within limits. A depressed teen may cry for help indirectly through troublesome, even destructive behavior and through physical symptoms. For a teenager to admit that he or she needs help feels like regressing back to childhood.

To be a teen means to externalize feelings and deal with the world through action. Depression ranks second only to advanced heart disease in exacting a physical toll, measured by days in bed and body pain. It’s common for people with depressive disorders to complain about recurring headaches, backaches, chronic fatigue, and insomnia. Being sick can be a binding thing that keeps the teenager tied to parents, if the illness is the only time the teen receives attention and love from their parents. The body may signal what the mind is saying through physical symptoms.

The body expresses feelings and conflicts that the teenager is unable to verbalize. Physical ills are often viewed with more importance than emotional pain by parents, teachers, or even the teens themselves. “It’s much easier for adolescents to ask for medical care than for psychological help. They often have a great fear of being crazy or of being thought to be crazy. Another serious medical problem that is affecting more and more teens is an eating disorder. An eating disorder often represents a teenager’s attempt to gain some control by engaging in a behavior, which cannot be regulated by another person.

One-third to one-half of patients with eating disorders has a major depressive illness at the same time. More than one million teens, most under the age of sixteen, run away from home every year. They are neither adventurous nor rebellious adolescents, but teens tested and troubled by life’s circumstances. A young girl at a shelter for teenage runaways tries to explain why she has run away from home four times in the past two months. Drawing her blanket around her like a cocoon, the fourteen-year -old quietly stares at the floor. “I’m no good to anyone, I get upset and fuss at home and it causes trouble for everyone.

I had to run away to save my parent’s marriage. ” Unfortunately, this story is not at all unusual. Of the 1. 2 million teen runaways in the United States, an estimated 300,000 have little hope or chance of returning home. They often feel things are hopeless and that their parents would never understand. Drug use is on the rise among teens as young as thirteen. According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, about 4% of high school seniors use alcohol daily, while 92% have tried it. Millions of teens have had adverse experiences caused by excessive drinking.

Researchers have found that depressed teens are at particularly high risk for drug and alcohol abuse. Abuse of drugs, alcohol, or other substances is often used to assuage depression. Studies have found that when depressed patients were given treatment, alcohol and drug intake diminished as well. Substance abuse is seen as both a symptom and a cause of depression. There is more sexual activity among teenagers today than at any other time in our history. By the time they leave high school, some 90% of seniors are no longer virgins. Sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers have reached epidemic proportions.

Eight million young people each year are infected with a sexually transmitted disease. Every thirty seconds, another U. S. teenager is infected. Sexual acting-out , which cannot only be life changing, but also life-threatening in this age of AIDS, can become an antidote to the loneliness and isolation many teenagers feel. Sexual activity is often used as an attempt to deal with feelings of depression, to increase self-esteem by feeling wanted and to achieve intimacy. Approximately 3,000 teenage girls in the United States will get pregnant today. An estimated 3 million teenage girls become pregnant each year.

Beth is a shy, quiet eighth-grader who is expecting a baby in two months. Beth admits her pregnancy was intentional and she plans to keep her baby “because then I’ll have someone of my own who will love me for sure. I won’t be alone anymore. ” ” This illusion of unconditional love, coupled with a lack of insight into the unrelenting demands that the complete dependence of an infant brings leads a number of girls to seek pregnancy. ” Some teens see parenthood as a way to recapture the joy of childhood they are losing, a way to be loved and important to someone else, or as an antidote to depression.

Suicide among teenagers has skyrocketed 200% in the last decade. If we were talking about mononucleosis or meningitis we’d call this an epidemic. Suicide has become the second leading cause of death among older teenagers. Adolescents are particularly at risk for suicide attempts because they progress through a variety of rapid developmental stages. The seriously depressed teen may often have a sense of hopelessness. Many teens are too immobilized by depression to see any alternatives or to take any positive steps toward change.

All too often depressed teenagers don’t have the experience to know that time heals, that there is always hope. They don’t realize that they can survive a crisis and perhaps even learn from it. Life is often seen in absolutes which intensifies any crisis. The destructive potential of serious teenage depression can have many long-lasting aftereffects. Having and keeping a baby, getting into trouble with the law, sustaining a serious injury as the result of risk-taking behavior or stunting one’s emotional growth by anesthetizing painful feelings with drugs or alcohol can have a great impact on one’s future.

It can prevent a young adult from having a full, healthy, and productive life or make it considerably more difficult to do so. Depression is a growing problem amongst today’s teenagers. Depression brings with it many problems that can be self-destructive. If a teenager has the benefit of early intervention and help in coping with his or her depression, however, the life script can be quite different. It is imperative to realize that depression can happen to teenagers, even those who have everything going for them. It can happen to the best and brightest of young people. It’s hard to detect depression in teens because it’s a developmental stage characterized by considerable anger and withdrawal. Adolescents don’t necessarily look sad and depressed and its normal for teens to have mood swings but within limits. A depressed teen may cry for help indirectly through troublesome, even destructive behavior and through physical symptoms. For a teenager to admit that he or she needs help feels like regressing back to childhood.

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