Is Your Teenager Dealing
Are you caring for a teenager with Depression?
This experience can be very isolating and you may even feel bad for yourself especially if you feel like you are not giving the proper care for your son or daughter.
To support you as you care for your teenager, here is some information about teens experiencing Depression.
What is Depression?
People who are depressed experience an extended period of sadness or a negative mood, rather than a brief reaction of sadness to a stressful or difficult situation. In a depressed state, the brain and body do not function as well as they do in a non-depressed state. People who suffer from Depression are likely to experience problems with day to day activities especially when they lose interest in school or work.
Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions. In 2012, approximately 2.1 million people, almost 10% of the Australian population, were reported to be living with Depression. As of 2021, around 3.2% of children are diagnosed with Depression (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Teens or adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old had the highest rate of major depressive episodes followed by young adults aged 18 to 25 (SingleCare, 2022).
Symptoms of a Teenager with Depression
Depression can be categorised into three states depending on the number and severity of symptoms.
Mild Depression is temporary bouts of sadness and other symptoms such as anger and hopefulness that do not last for a long time.
Moderate Depression can be reoccurring instances of sadness and worthlessness that heightens your insecurities.
Severe Depression or Clinical Depression, also sometimes known as Major Depression or Major Depressive Disorder includes all symptoms in Mild and Moderate Depressions, together with delusions, hallucinations and thoughts of suicide. People suffering from Clinical Depression most often find it hard to concentrate and think rationally.
Symptoms of Mild Depression in Teens
- Sad or irritable mood
- Loss of interest in activities
- Unplanned weight loss
- Insomnia or hypersomnia
- Reduced energy
- Poor concentration
- Reckless behaviour
- Unexplained body aches
Symptoms of Moderate Depression in Teens include those in Mild Depression as well as the following:
- Insecurities or problems with self-esteem
- Poor school performance caused by reduced productivity
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Finding it hard to keep friends due to increased sensitivities
- Social withdrawal and sexual interest
- Anxiety caused by excessive worrying
- Exploring substance abuse (drugs and alcohol)
Teenagers with Severe or Clinical Depression experience more than symptoms of Mild and Moderate Depression.
They also experience the following in a reoccurring manner:
- Impaired thinking or concentration
- Loss of hope, not just of plans for the future but of being successful in doing anything
- Talks of death or dying including threats unto self
- Exploring self-harm by being reckless or by directing harmful actions unto self
What causes Depression?
Many different factors can contribute to Depression. A stressful and challenging circumstance such as the loss of a loved one, failure in school, social pressures, changes in lifestyle and experiencing familial and financial problems can trigger Depression in teens. Other causes of Depression also include the following:
- Personality and genetic vulnerabilities
- Childhood experiences and trauma
- Biochemistry
- Chronic health conditions
- Medical side-effects
Diagnosis of Depression
Depression can develop at a very young age (as early as 3 years old) and children can carry this mental health condition and affect their life as they grow up. To address Depression, bring your child to a GP or a Psychiatrist for early diagnosis and treatment. Unlike other mental health conditions, diagnosing Depression does not involve laboratory tests that can give definite results.
Diagnosing Depression involves systematic interviews through a series of standard questionnaires alongside ruling out other behavioural and mental health conditions. This includes talking to the teen, the parents, friends and school teachers to assess their state (and severity of symptoms) on most days. For teens to be diagnosed with Depression, they must experience most of the symptoms on most days for at least 6 months.
Treatments for your Teenager with Depression
People who are depressed show an imbalance in their biochemistry or a deficiency of neurotransmitters in their brain that contribute to feeling ‘happy’ emotions. This is why prescribed medication such as Anti-Depressants can be a useful method of treatment. Talking therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and personal and family counselling have been evidenced as the most successful treatment of Depression.
In most cases, teens tend to dwell on their sadness and keep the symptoms to themselves. If you see obvious signs of Depression, bring your son or daughter to a GP for evaluation and to design a multidimensional treatment that will work best for them.
How to help your teenager with Clinical Depression
It can be very hard to see your son or daughter experience Depression especially during their teenage years – one of the most important periods in an adolescent’s life. The best way to help them is to bring them to a GP or Psychiatrist for professional help. You can also turn to a mental health phone line or browse online for mental health services for assistance.
Connecting with your teenager, especially one experiencing a mental health condition, can be a tough experience. But as a parent, aside from aiding them with professional help, what you can do is to offer a listening ear and let them know you are there for them. Giving affirmations and positivity is also a good way to let your teen know that everything will be alright.
How to help yourself
Seeing your teenager with depression lose hope is very hurtful and supporting them can also take its toll and leave you exhausted at the end of the day if you see your son or daughter not fighting their Depression. But you don’t have to go through it alone.
HelpingMinds® offers free and confidential support to Carers or to people who are caring for someone living with mental health challenges. We offer free counselling and support groups, as well as rest and revive activities to help you take a breather and rejuvenate your mental health. We also conduct school holiday programs, family programs, and youth programs as part of our advocacy to promote mental health wellness to people living in WA.
Get Support from HelpingMinds®
Would you like to know more about free and confidential mental health carer services and how we can support you? Please feel free to contact HelpingMinds® via the form below or on (08) 9427 7100. For one of our team to get back to you, we will require your email address and/or phone number. Please know all information provided will be treated completely confidential and in line with our privacy policy.
