Depression 101
Anyone can develop a mental health problem. It is never your or your family’s fault. Depression usually begins between the ages of 15 and 30. In teenagers, feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy can develop over grades, social status with peers, sexual orientation and/or family life. Lesser known symptoms of teen depression include temper tantrums, being self-critical and/or feeling that others are hypercritical, and anxiety, including worrying too much and fearing separation from a parent.
Long-term medical conditions, like diabetes and epilepsy, increase a teenager’s risk of developing depresssion. In addition, after puberty and as adults, females are twice as likely as males to suffer depression. According to Kaplan and Sadock’s Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, episodes of depression last an average of 8 months.
To determine if a youth has depression and to make treatment recommendations, if necessary, health care professionals conduct interviews and psychological tests. Assessments for potentially co-existing psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, substance abuse and complex forms of depression including bipolar disorder and psychosis, also may be included.
Without proper treatment, mental health conditions can worsen and make everyday life much more difficult. Combined treatment, psychotherapy along with depression medication, often is effective with teenage depression. If family conflict is a contributing factor, family therapy may be helpful. In addition, if there is a close friend or other family member a youth is close to and feels comfortable with, parents may want to suggest that he or she talk with that person about his or her concerns.
It is important to remember that teen depression often occurs episodically and that once a youth experiences an occurrence, he or she is likely to become depressed again at some point in the future. A 2011 study on depression in children and adolescents by Philip Hazell found that even with successful treatment, as many as 40 percent of children with depression will have another occurrence within a few years.
When teens use drugs and alcohol, their depression is harder to treat. During treatment for depression, make sure that your child takes his or her medicine (if appropriate) and attends his or her counseling appointments as directed, even if he or she feels better. Ending treatment prematurely is a common cause of relapse. Also, establishing long-term, comfortable relationships with his or her care providers is essential for managing depression.