In its mildest form, depression is the most
common psychological problem for teenagers. While it was uncommon a generation
or two ago, we now see more diagnoses than ever, and some experts predict that
depression will become the psychological ‘flu’ of the 21st century.
We usually describe depression as ‘feeling
sad’, but without being aware of its other symptoms, it can be misdiagnosed.
How
to know if your teen is depressed
“I
hate me. I really hate me. I hate the way I look. I hate the way I feel. I hate
how I do everything wrong. The world would be better off without me. My family
would be better off without me. I shouldn’t even be alive.”
Depression has emotional symptoms (like a
loss of enjoyment in activities that were once fun), but it also has cognitive
symptoms (like pessimism and hopelessness). It has motivational symptoms (like
feeling apathetic), and it also has physical symptoms (like eating and sleep
disturbances).
According to the psychological model that
has been used for the last two decades, adolescent depression requires a person
to be:
1. Extremely depressed
2. A loss of interest and pleasure in most
or all activities
3. Significant weight loss or weight gain
4. Insomnia, or sleeping too much
5. Being physically agitated and constantly
moving (although some people with depression don’t want to move at all.)
6. Fatigue
7. Feelings of worthlessness, or feeling
guilty for anything and everything
8. Being overly indecisive, having
difficulty concentrating, or not wanting to think about anything
9. Feeling like life would be better if
they were dead.
Most psychologists would give a diagnosis
of depression to your teenager if they exhibited at least five of these nine
symptoms at the same time, consistently, during a two-week period.
How
common is depression in young people?
Depression is relatively uncommon in
pre-adolescent children – studies indicate somewhere around 1-2 percent.
Adolescents appear to experience depression
at similar rates to adults. Close to 20% of us will experience depression at
some point in our lives, with around 5-6 percent of our teens (and us) having a
clinically depressive episode in any given year. Our daughters are particularly
vulnerable, with research indicating depression is twice as likely to affect
females than males.
What
do I do if I think my teen is depressed?
Some people’s natural reaction might be to
tell them to ‘pull themselves together’, but this is rarely an effective
strategy. Instead, I suggest the following:
1. Have a good heart to heart. If their
symptoms match those listed above, suggest a visit to the GP for more advice. Then
get a referral for a psychologist.
2. If depression is diagnosed, research
generally suggests the best treatment is a combined pharmacological (drugs) and
cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) approach.
3. Research tells us that even if our
teenagers get good help, they’ll struggle to work through their symptoms if
their parents are depressed. So make sure every parent is ok, too.
4. Encourage your children to spend time
with friends who help them feel good about themselves.
5. Make sure their school environment is a
positive one.
6. Discourage alcohol and drug use – and be
clear about it.
7. Reduce stress in their environment.
8. Encourage exercise, appropriate sleep
and healthy eating.
9. Help them be good at something.
Developing competence builds confidence and feelings of worth.
Lastly, if you spot your adolescent
slipping into any negative thinking habits, talk to them about it. Build your
relationship with them. Help them know how much you value them by spending time
with them. Your relationship with them may be the thing that makes all the
difference.
Has depression affected your family?
At The Assisted Learning Centre, we provide only the best learning resources with the most qualified teachers. We are dedicated to educating, helping and communicating with our students!
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