YOUTH DEPRESSION

Youth 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.

Youth 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

Youth 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 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
• Feeling hopeless or empty
• Irritable or annoyed mood
• Frustration or feelings of anger, even over small matters
• Loss of interest or pleasure in normal 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
• Neglected 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.

Causes

 These include:

• Biological 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 change, 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 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.

 factors that increase the risk of developing or triggering Youth 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 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 a physical disability
• 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 alcoholism
• Having a family member who committed suicide
• Having a dysfunctional family and 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 abuse
• Academic problems
• Family conflicts and relationship difficulties
• Involvement with the juvenile justice system
• Suicide

Treatment selection depends on the type and severity of your teenager's symptoms. A combination of talk therapy (psychotherapy) and medication can be very effective for most teens with depression.

If your teen has severe depression or is in danger of self-harm, he or she may need a hospital stay or may need to participate in an outpatient treatment program until symptoms improve.

Antidepressants and pregnancy

If your teen is pregnant or breast-feeding, some antidepressants may pose an increased health risk to her unborn or nursing child. If your teen becomes pregnant or plans to become pregnant, make certain she talks to her doctor about antidepressant medications and managing depression during pregnancy.

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, also called psychological counseling or talk therapy, is a general term for treating depression by talking about depression and related issues with a mental health provider. Different types of psychotherapy can be effective for depression, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or interpersonal therapy.

Psychotherapy may be done one-on-one, with family members or in a group. Through regular sessions, your teen can:

• Learn about the causes of depression
• Learn how to identify and make changes in unhealthy behaviors or thoughts
• Explore relationships and experiences
• Find better ways to cope and solve problems
• Set realistic goals
• Regain a sense of happiness and control
• Help ease depression symptoms such as hopelessness and anger
• Adjust to a crisis or other current difficulty.

Dealing with depression include:

• Acupuncture
• Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing
• Yoga or tai chi
• Meditation
• Guided imagery
• Massage therapy
• Music or art therapy
• Spirituality

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