Depression in Adolescents
Depression is a huge plague in the world. The American Psychiatric Association reports that depression occurs if at least 5 of the following symptoms occur for at least 2 weeks: depressed or sad mood, decreased interest in activities that once was enjoyable, weight gain or loss, psychomotor agitation or retardation, fatigue, misplaced guilt, a lack of concentration, or even recurrent thoughts of death. Approximately 121 million people are affected by some form of depression. Statistics from the Center for Disease and Control Prevention show that approximately 8.3 percent of adolescents are affected by depression. Whereas this number seems small compared to the number that affects adults, it is important to remember that depression is difficult to accurately diagnose in adolescents because of the many changes they are experiencing during this period of their lives. They are not as mature and don’t understand a lot of these changes they are experiencing, therefore that number may not accurately reflect the true number of adolescents that suffer from depression. Depressive disorders for youth includes MDD, dysthymic disorder, cyclothymic disorder, bipolar disorder (I and II), mood disorder due to a general medical condition, substance-induced mood disorder, and mood disorder not otherwise specified and depressive disorder not otherwise specified (Hamill-Skoch, Hicks, Prieto-Hicks, 2012). This paper will discuss the causes, symptoms, and effects of treatments for adolescents faced with depression.
The cause of depression is controversial. Some believe that it is biological and others believe that conditions such as poor social skills contribute to the onset of depression. Many studies show that when paren...
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Teenage depression is happening constantly and not improving. In fact, from 2005 to 2014 the prevalence of depression, or the chance of experiencing depression within the year increased in ages 12-17. “Any parent of an adolescent,” as Perri Klass points out, “has to wonder, of course, what’s the difference between “regular” adolescent mood swings and teenage behaviors and these warning signs.” Depression has varying symptoms such as mood changes, persistent sadness or irritability, and changes in functionality, such as school failure or a loss of interest in activities. This being said, author Perri
The concept of a happy childhood being a carefree, never-ending recess before the responsibilities of adulthood set in is just as realistic as the cartoons children watch on television. To the contrary, adolescents today feel less safe, less inspired and less hopeful than ever before. It is not surprising then that depression is a common concomitant to adolescent development (Tharper, Collishaw, & Pine, 2012). According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately one in five adolescents between the ages of nine and twenty four is clinically depressed and more than twenty percent of adolescents will have experienced a major depressive episode before reaching adulthood (“Suicide in the U.S.: Statistics and Prevention”, n.d.). Such episodes can affect developmental growth, interfere with educational achievement, and increase the risk of attempted and completed suicide as well as major depressive disorder prior to adulthood. Depression in adolescents has become an increasingly important mental epidemic and is thus a major risk factor for suicide, the third leading cause of death among this age group (Tharper et al., 2012). One hundred percent of those teens who suffer from depression can get help but less than thirty three percent of teens with depression are properly diagnosed and actually seek treatment (“Suicide in the U.S.: Statistics and Prevention”, n.d.). Therefore, the early recognition of and the development of effective treatments for adolescent depression clearly should be a high public health priority.
Cognitive behavioural therapy has been proven to be effective in the treatment of child and adolescent depression (Lewinsohn & Clarke, 1999; Harrington et al, 1998, March et al, 2004). There is general agreement in the clinical literature that the techniques of cognitive behavioural approaches to therapy are likely to be effective in treating depression (Brewin, 1996; Beech, 2000).
Depression in school-age children may be one of the most overlooked and under treated psychological disorders of childhood, presenting a serious mental health problem. Depression in children has become an important issue in research due to its many emotional forms, and its relationship to self-destructive behaviors. Depressive disorders are of particular importance to school psychologists, who are often placed in the best position to identify, refer, and treat depressed children. Procedures need to be developed to identify depression in students to avoid allowing those children struggling with depression to go undetected. Depression is one of the most treatable forms of disorders, with an 80-90% chance of improvement if individuals receive treatment (Dubuque, 1998). On the other hand, if untreated, serious cases of depression in childhood can be severe, long, and interfere with all aspects of development, relationships, school progress, and family life (Janzen, & Saklofske, 1991).
Depression is the most common mental health problem in the United States. It affects people of all ages, races and economic backgrounds. In adolescents, as many as one in eight teens suffers with this condition. It can interfere with day-to-day functioning. Many times adolescents feel lost or hopeless and may not know who to turn to for help. This therapeutic environment uses specific objectives and goals to give adolescents the tools and skills they need to cope and function more successfully. This is a positive, caring environment so that each member will feel ready to share and cope with their problems. Currently, there is a lack of support and resources for adolescents with this mental illness and this group fulfills that need. This group is different from other groups of this nature, as members are carefully screened to make sure only those who can truly benefit from it are included.
Its symptoms often differ, too, so many depressed teens are dismissed as simply being “difficult” or “delinquent.” Yet it is a serious problem, particularly when one considers the high rate of depression-related suicide among teenagers. Because its symptoms are varied and often subtle, depression at any age can be hard to identify. Many people, particularly teens, who are undergoing so many changes that affect mood and behavior are unaware that they are depressed. Even when they seek treatment, it is often only for the physical symptoms, such as sleeplessness or fatigue, and not the actual underlying cause. Many factors increase the risk of developing or triggering teen depression, those factors include - having issues that negatively impact self-esteem, such as obesity, peer problems, bullying, or academic
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Teenage depression is a growing problem in today's society and is often a major contributing factor for a multitude of adolescent problems. The statistics about teenage runaways, alcoholism, drug problems, pregnancy, eating disorders, and suicide are alarming. Even more startling are the individual stories behind these statistics because the young people involved come from all communities, all economic levels, and all home situations-anyone's family. The common link is often depression. For the individuals experiencing this crisis, the statistics become relatively meaningless. The difficult passage into adolescence and early adulthood can leave lasting scars on the lives and psyches of an entire generation of young men and women. There is growing realization that teenage depression can be life- changing, even life threatening.
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Keith A. King, and Rebecca A. Vidourek. "Teen Depression and Suicide: Effective Prevention and Intervention Strategies." The Prevention Researcher (2012): 15. Web.