Teen Depression: The Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Teen depression is a serious medical illness. It’s more than just a feeling of being sad or “blue” for a few days. It is an intense feeling of sadness, hopelessness, and anger or frustration that lasts much longer. These feelings make it hard for you to function normally and do your usual activities. You may also have trouble focusing and have no motivation or energy. Depression can make you feel like it is hard to enjoy life or even get through the day.

What causes depression in teens?

Many factors may play a role in depression, including

• Genetics. Depression can run in families.
• Brain biology and chemistry.
• Hormones. Hormone changes can contribute to depression.
• Stressful childhood events such as trauma, the death of a loved one, bullying, and abuse.

Which teens are at risk of depression?

Depression can happen at any age, but often begins in the teens or early adulthood. Certain teens are at higher risk of depression, such as those who:

• Have other mental health conditions, such as anxiety, eating disorders, and substance use
• Have other diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease
• Have family members with mental illness
• Have a dysfunctional family/family conflict
• Have problems with friends or other kids at school
• Have learning problems or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Have had trauma in childhood
• Have low self-esteem, a pessimistic outlook, or poor coping skills
• Are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, especially when their families are not supportive

What are the symptoms of depression in teens?

If you have depression, you have one or more of these symptoms most of the time:

• Sadness
• Feeling of emptiness
• Hopelessness
• Being angry, irritable, or frustrated, even at minor things

You also may also have other symptoms, such as:

• No longer caring about things you used to enjoy
• Changes in weight – losing weight when you are not dieting or gaining weight from eating too much
• Changes in sleep – having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, or sleeping much more than usual
• Feeling restless or having trouble sitting still
• Feeling very tired or not having energy
• Feeling worthless or very guilty
• Having trouble concentrating, remembering information, or making decisions
• Thinking about dying or suicide

How is depression in teens diagnosed?

If you think you might be depressed, tell someone that you trust, such as your parents or guardian, teacher or counselor, or your doctor.

The next step is to see your doctor for a checkup. Your doctor can first make sure that you do not have another health problem that is causing your depression. To do this, you may have a physical exam and lab tests.

If you don’t have another health problem, you will get a psychological evaluation. Your doctor may do it, or you may be referred to a mental health professional to get one.

You may be asked about things such as:

• Your thoughts and feelings
• How you are doing at school
• Any changes in your eating, sleeping, or energy level
• Whether you are suicidal
• Whether you use alcohol or drugs

How is depression in teens treated?

Effective treatments for depression in teens include talk therapy, or a combination of talk therapy and medicines:

Talk therapy

Talk therapy, also called psychotherapy or counseling, can help you understand and manage your moods and feelings. It involves going to see a therapist, such as a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a social worker, or counselor. You can talk out your emotions to someone who understands and supports you. You can also learn how to stop thinking negatively and start to look at the positives in life. This will help you build confidence and feel better about yourself.

There are many different types of talk therapy. Certain types have been shown to help teens deal with depression, including

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT helps you to identify and change negative and unhelpful thoughts. It also helps you build coping skills and change behavioral patterns.
• Interpersonal therapy (IPT). IPT focuses on improving your relationships. It helps you understand and work through troubled relationships that may contribute to your depression. IPT may help you change behaviors that are causing problems. You also explore major issues that may add to your depression, such as grief or life changes.

Medicines

In some cases, your doctor will suggest medicines along with talk therapy. There are a few antidepressants that have been widely studied and proven to help teens. If you are taking medicine for depression, it is important to see your doctor regularly.

It is also important to know that it will take some time for you to get relief from antidepressants:

• It can take 3 to 4 weeks until an antidepressant takes effect
• You may have to try more than one antidepressant to find one that works for you
• It can also take some time to find the right dose of an antidepressant

In some cases, teenagers may have an increase in suicidal thoughts or behavior when taking antidepressants. This risk is higher in the first few weeks after starting the medicine and when the dose is changed. Make sure to tell your parents or guardian if you start feeling worse or have thoughts of hurting yourself.

You should not stop taking the antidepressants on your own. You need to work with your doctor to slowly and safely decrease the dose before you stop.

Programs for severe depression

Some teens who have severe depression or are at risk of hurting themselves may need more intensive treatment. They may go into a psychiatric hospital or do a day program. Both offer counseling, group discussions, and activities with mental health professionals and other patients. Day programs may be full-day or half-day, and they often last for several weeks.

Source: Medline Plus | Teen Depression, https://medlineplus.gov/teendepression.html | MedlinePlus contains both copyrighted and non-copyrighted material. Health Topic summary pages are in the public domain.

Read more about teen depression and effective treatments in the Teen Mental Health section of CHC’s online resource library.

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A screening can help you determine if you or someone you care about should contact a mental health professional. Care Coordinators can arrange a free 30 minute Care Consultation so you can explore options with an expert. Call or email our Care Coordinators at 650.688.3625 or careteam@testing.chconline.org to set up an initial Consultation appointment.