Are you concerned your teen might be depressed? Depression affects people of all races, genders, and ages—including teens. Depression is a treatable illness; however, parents must know how to recognize the signs of teen depression and when to intervene.
It’s normal in the teen years to have highs and lows, but having a bad day is quite different than having a bad month. When a teen is stuck at a low point, you need to pay attention. A depressed teen is unable to “snap out of it” and pull themselves up by their boot straps. The depth of their feelings can be overwhelming. In the worst case scenario, untreated depression can result in suicide.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports about 1 in 5 teenagers have depression at some point. The signs of depression in teens are different from the signs of depression in adults. Adults often describe themselves as being depressed or down in the dumps. Teens are not as likely to use words like sad or depressed to describe their experience. They are more likely to indicate they are depressed by changing their behavior and daily routines. If you see some of the following common signs of teen depression in your child for 2 weeks or longer, call The Center for Family Unity for an evaluation.
- Frequent irritability or hostility with sudden out bursts of anger.
- Spends increasing time alone, pulls away from family and most friends, while keeping a close friend.
- Doesn’t enjoy or participate in activities that brought pleasure in the past.
- Appears sad and depressed most of the time to others.
- No longer shows interest in personal grooming.
- Complains of being tired much of the time.
- Sleep patterns change – insomnia, fitful sleep, or sleeps most of the time.
- Eating patterns change – gains weight, or loses weight instead of normal gain with growth.
- Very sensitive to criticism, feels worthless, hopeless, has inappropriate guilt.
- Has a hard time concentrating or following directions, and cannot make decisions.
- GPA drops, fails to do homework, and has no motivation concerning school.
- Has unexplained physical symptoms i.e. headache, stomach ache.
- Absent from school.
- Engages in high risk behaviors i.e. unsafe sex, shoplifting, and reckless driving.
- Engages in drinking or using drugs to deal with feelings of depression.
Remember, depression is a treatable illness. To learn more about how to recognize the signs of teen depression and know when to intervene, contact a teen therapist at The Center for Family Unity by calling (619) 884-0601.