Depression Learning

Teen Depression Overview

Approximately 10 percent of the American population is clinically depressed. Depression isn’t just a blue mood; it is a mental health issue, or illness. Teenagers make up 4 to 5 percent of the population that is diagnosed with some form of depression. Most teens don’t even know they are depressed, and that depression is a mental illness; therefore, parents, teachers, and counselors need to “tune in” to the teenage who is exhibiting signs of depression over the period of a few weeks.

Yes, depression is an illness, but it is a treatable illness. If teens do not get the depression help when they need it, they suffer needlessly in that state of mind. Depression isn’t just a mental illness; it is also a physical illness. Teen depression, just like adult depression, is characterized by an imbalance in brain chemistry. Environmental factors, family dynamics, stressful events, and brain chemistry are all believed to be contributing factors to clinical depression in teens.

Teens may be at risk for depression if they have experienced any difficult changes in their lives. Traumatic events, such as the death of someone they love could be the trigger. Teens may not be able to cope with divorce, breaking up with a girlfriend or boyfriend. It is believed that factors such as these influence brain chemistry. When life is going well, the chemicals stay in balance, but when life is full of stress and unhappiness the biochemistry in the brain begins to shift away from normal balance.

Parents and teachers should be aware of the warning signs that depressed teens display. If your teen has been exhibiting any of these signs, listed below, for a period of 2 weeks or more, you should seek depression help from a health care professional.

• Having problems at school
• Outbursts of anger
• Isolation
• Difficulty sleeping
• Decreased appetite and weight loss
• Increased appetite, eating for comfort
• Fearful of violence
• Becoming violent
• Substance abuse
• Giving away possessions

Out of all of the above mentioned symptoms, giving away possessions is one of the most significant. Depressed teens and young adults between the ages of 15 and 25 are more likely to attempt or commit suicide than any other group of depressed people. Approximately half a million young people attempt suicide every year, and nearly 5000 of those young adults actually succeed in the attempt. Approximately 80 percent of young adults who didn’t succeed in their suicide attempt will try again. In the 15 to 25 year old age group, suicide is the third leading cause of death.

If you believe your teenager might be depressed, talk to him or her in a loving way. If the symptoms of teen depression last longer than two weeks you should seek help right away with your teen’s health care or mental health care practitioner.

Teens are developing very quickly; a flood of hormones trigger the changes taking place in their bodies from puberty through their teenage years. Social pressures, combined with the thoughts and feelings teenagers experience as their bodies change can be very stressful on teens. Teen depression is a very real illness that should not be minimized. The sooner depressed teens get depression help, the sooner they can feel well again.

Related Depression Posts

• Child Depression Overview
• What Are The Causes?
• Depression Diagnosis
• Signs Of Depression
• Depression Blues – 2
• Major Depression
• Top 10 Signs of Depression in Senior Citizens.