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Major Depression in Teens

Major depression is one of the mental, emotional, and behavior disorders that can appear during childhood and adolescence. This type of depression affects a young person's thoughts, feelings, behavior, and body. Major depression in children and adolescents is serious; it is more than "the blues". Depression can lead to school failure, alcohol or other drug use, and even suicide.

What are the Signs of Depression?

Young people with depression may have a hard time coping with everyday activities and responsibilities, have difficulty getting along with others, and suffer from low self-esteem. Signs of depression include:

• Sadness that won't go away;
• Hopelessness;
• Lost of interest in usual activities;
• Changes in eating or sleeping habits;
• Missed school or poor school performance;
• Aches and pains that don't get better with treatment; and thoughts about death or suicide.

Some young children with this disorder may pretend to be sick, be overactive, cling to their parents and refuse to go to school, or worry that their parents may die. Older children and adolescents with depression may sulk, refuse to participate in family and social activities, get into trouble at school, use alcohol and other drugs, or stop paying attention to their appearance. They may also become negative, restless, grouchy, aggressive, or feel that no one understands them. Adolescents with major depression are likely to identify themselves as depressed before their parents suspect a problem. The same may be true for children.

What Help is Available for a Young Person with Depression?

While several types of antidepressant medications can be effective to treat adults with depression, additional research is needed to determine whether antidepressants are useful in helping young people. Some success has been reported with a drug called fluoxetine. Fluoxetine seems to have fewer side effects than other antidepressant medications. 

Many mental health providers use "talk" treatments to help children and adolescents with depression. The National Institute of Mental Health has made it a priority to evaluate the effectiveness of the following types of therapy: Individual, family, and group psychotherapy.

What Can Parents Do?

If parents or other important adults in the child or teenager's life suspect a problem with depression they should:

• Make careful notes about the behaviors that concern them. Note how long the behaviors have been going on, how often they occur, and how severe they seem.
• Make an appointment with a mental health professional or the child's doctor for evaluation and diagnosis.
• Get accurate information from libraries, hotlines, and other sources.
• Ask questions about treatments and services.
• Talk to other families in the community.
• Find family network organizations such as the mental health association, the alliance for the mentally ill, and the depressive/manic depressive association.

Teen Depression

Reference: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Mental Health Information Center

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