Adolescent depression

Adolescent depression is a disorder that occurs during the teenage years. It involves persistent sadness, discouragement, loss of self-worth, and loss of interest in usual activities.

According to the New York Times the main causes of this phenomenon are:

• The normal process of maturing and the stress associated with it
• The influence of sex hormones
• Independence conflicts with parents
• The death of a friend or relative
• A breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend
• Failure at school
• Associated with eating disorders, particularly bulimia

There are risk factors which can conduce to adolescent depression such as: child abuse, chronic illness, family history of depression, poor social skills, and unstable caregiving.

The main symptoms are:

• Acting-out behavior (missing curfews, unusual defiance)
• Appetite changes (usually a loss of appetite but sometimes an increase)
• Criminal behavior (such as shoplifting)
• Depressed or irritable mood
• Difficulty concentrating
• Difficulty making decisions
• Episodes of memory loss
• Excessive sleeping or daytime sleepiness
• Excessively irresponsible behavior pattern
• Excessive or inappropriate feelings of guilt
• Failing relations with family and friends
• Faltering school performance
• Fatigue
• Feelings of worthlessness, sadness, or self-hatred
• Loss of interest in activities
• Persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep (insomnia)
• Plans to commit suicide or actual suicide attempt
• Preoccupation with self
• Reduced pleasure in daily activities
• Substance abuse
• Temper (agitation)
• Thoughts about suicide or obsessive fears or worries about death
• Weight change (unintentional weight loss or gain)

According to TeenDepression.com statistics shows that teen depression is a common problem:

• About 20 percent of teens will experience teen depression before they reach adulthood.
• Between 10 to 15 percent of teenagers have some symptoms of teen depression at any one time.
• About 5 percent of teens are suffering from major depression at any one time
• As many as 8.3 percent of teens suffer from depression for at least a year at a time, compared to about 5.3 percent of the general population.
• Most teens with depression will suffer from more than one episode. 20 to 40 percent will have more than one episode within two years, and 70 percent will have more than one episode before adulthood. Episodes of teen depression generally last about 8 months.
• Dysthymia, a type of mild, long-lasting depression, affects about 2 percent of teens, and about the same percentage of teens develop bipolar disorder in their late teenage years. 15 percent of teens with depression eventually develop bipolar disorder.
• A small percent of teens also suffer from seasonal depression, usually during the winter months in higher latitudes.

What to do? Call your health care provider if you notice one or more suicide warning signs. You can also seek professional treatment and therapy.

By Patricia Rivero