The reasons for depression are not always clear-cut. Although some depressed, even suicidal teenagers come from extremely troubled backgrounds with a lifetime of difficulties at home and at school, the vast majority of depressed teens are not without resources, support, or love. They simply find, for a variety of reasons, that they're feeling overwhelmed by a sensation of hopelessness and helplessness. Depression can happen to teenagers, even those who have everything going for them. It can happen to even the brightest of young people.
It is very hard for professionals to detect depression in teenagers because it's a developmental stage characterized by considerable anger and withdrawal. Adolescents don't necessarily look sad and depressed and its normal for young people to have mood swings but within limits. A depressed teenager may cry for help indirectly through troublesome, even destructive behaviour and through physical symptoms. For a teenager to admit that he or she needs help feels like they are retreating back to their childhood. It's common for people with depressive disorders to complain about recurring headaches, backaches, chronic fatigue, and insomnia. Being sick can be a binding thing that keeps a teenager tied to their parents, if the illness is the only time the teenager receives attention and love from their parents. (Dowling et al. 1993) The body expresses feelings and conflicts that the teenager is unable to verbalize. Physical ills are often viewed with more importance than emotional pain by parents, teachers, or even the teens themselves. (Papolos 1997)
As well as the feelings of depression, and the reasons why these may occur in young adults, some have to cope with more serious problems that could have a detrimental effect on the young person’s health and well being for, possibly the rest of their lives. Serious medical problems such as eating disorders often represent teenagers’ attempts to gain some sort of control over their lives by engaging in a behaviour that cannot be regulated by another person. One third to one half of patients with eating disorders have a massive depressive illness at the same time. (Papolos 1997)
Running away from home and homelessness due to abuse or neglect are other situations some young people of today have to face. These are neither adventurous nor rebellious adolescents, but teenagers tested and troubled by life's circumstances, not always due to any fault of their own. It is hard for older generations to comprehend the horrors that young people have to deal with in today’s society. Depression may be a common factor in these troubled teenagers, yet it may take something drastic like running away from home to draw the attention of adults to their plight, often it is then too late. Latest Government figures reveal that about 100,000 children across the country are experiencing homelessness () and according to ‘Young prisoners: a thematic review of HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales’ 25% of young male prisoners are homeless or have been living in insecure accommodation. These figures seem to be increasing at an alarming rate but thankfully most young people manage to overcome the risks and obstacles they face.
Drug use is on the rise among teenagers as young as thirteen. According to the Clouds Organisation about 4% of 14-16 year olds in schools use alcohol daily, while 92% have tried it. Millions of teenagers have had adverse experiences caused by excessive drinking. (Newton 2001) Researchers have found that depressed teenagers are at particularly high risk for drug and alcohol abuse. Abuse of drugs, alcohol, or other substances is often used to tone down depression. Studies have found that when depressed patients were given treatment, alcohol and drug intake diminished as well. Substance abuse is seen as both a symptom and a cause of depression. (Papolos 1997)
Drug abuse is a common part of a depressed teenager’s life. These kinds of behaviour young people have been taught from their parents over the years. If parents are ill or they can’t cope with life, they take pills from the doctor instead of getting up and doing something about their situation. Teenagers watch this example and learn to do exactly the same thing, but quite often with illegal substances, and, without a doctor prescribing them, they are in a hopeless situation once the addiction or dependency takes hold.
There is more sexual activity among teenagers today than at any other time in our history. By the time they leave school, 90% of teenagers are no longer virgins (Papolos 1997); this is not without its risks. Sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers have reached epidemic proportions. Sexual promiscuity, which is not only life changing, but also life-threatening in this age of AIDS and HIV. Sexual activity can become an antidote to the loneliness and isolation many teenagers feel. Sexual activity is often used as an attempt to deal with feelings of depression, to increase self-esteem by feeling wanted and to achieve intimacy. (Dowling et al. 1993)
"Suicide among teenagers has skyrocketed 200% in the last decade. If we were talking about meningitis we'd call this an epidemic." (Shamoo & Patros 1997)
Even this does not reveal the full scope of the problem, since it is believed that for every young person who takes his or her life, many more attempt to do so. Suicide has become the second leading cause of death among older teenagers. Adolescents are particularly at risk for suicide attempts because they progress through a variety of rapid developmental stages. Seriously depressed teenagers may often feel a sense of hopelessness. Many young people also are too immobilized by depression to see any alternatives or to take any positive steps toward change. (Shamoo & Patros 1997)
If a teenager talks about various methods of suicide or says things like, "I'd be better off dead!" the possibility of serious depression is an extremely high one. People believe myths such as, “those who talk about suicide never attempt it”. But if a teenager even hints about suicidal thoughts, then close attention and professional help may be the only option made available to parents in order to save their child. Also, if an adolescent ever makes a suicide attempt, however half-hearted it may be, this should be viewed as a warning of serious depression and a cry for help. In such instances, professional help is vital. Whether the teenager talks about suicide or has ever tried to do something about these feelings, these are symptoms which should never been ignored. To treat adolescent problems lightly is foolish; neglect such as this could place future generations at risk. Official Government statistics report that;
“There has been a marked increase in suicide death rates in people aged 15 to 24 since the end of the 1950s…Suicide rates are associated with mental health problems, such as depression.”
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The destructive potential of serious teenage depression can have many long-lasting after-effects. Having and keeping a baby, getting into trouble with the police, sustaining a serious injury as the result of risk-taking behaviour or stunting one's emotional growth by anaesthetizing painful feelings with drugs or alcohol can have a great impact on teenagers future. It can prevent a young adult from having a full, healthy, and productive life or make it considerably more difficult to do so. Depression is a growing problem amongst today's teenagers and it brings with it many problems that can be self-destructive.
Unlike adult depression, symptoms of youth depression are often masked. Instead of expressing sadness, teenagers may express boredom and irritability, or may choose to engage in risky behaviours (Oster & Montgomery 1996). Mood disorders are often accompanied by other psychological problems such as anxiety, eating disorders, hyperactivity, substance abuse and suicide (Oster & Montgomery, 1996) all of which can hide depressive symptoms. The signs of clinical depression include marked changes in mood and associated behaviours that range from sadness, withdrawal, and decreased energy to intense feelings of hopelessness and suicidal thoughts. Key indicators of adolescent depression include a drastic change in eating and sleeping patterns, significant loss of interest in previous activity interests constant boredom, disruptive behaviour, peer problems, increased irritability and aggression (Oster & Montgomery, 1996).
Firstly, in order to determine whether a young person is suffering from depression or not, a close look at their behaviour is a strong indication. Lack of interest in food with a major or rapid weight loss is often a clue to depression. Compulsive overeating and sudden weight gain can also be danger signals. A major change in sleeping habits is also a symptom of depression. Among the sleep disorders, insomnia, early awakening which is uncharacteristic to the child, confused sleeping patterns such as sleeping all day and staying up all night or even sleeping too much.
Secondly, if the teenager has no friends or has lost interest in or broken ties with close friends, he or she may be immobilized by depression. Social contact and the effort involved in maintaining close friendships might have become too difficult, or perhaps their friends have deserted them. This can be seen as a valuable clue, since friends sometimes sense that something is wrong, way before the parents do. Teenagers need to talk with each other, to feel that they are part of a group. They use friends to seek out their own identity and to try themselves out within the peer group. However, the dependency needs of the adolescent may be so intense that others feel threatened and reject their friend thus isolating them even further.
Another point to note in determining the depression in a young person is his or her attitude to all of the things they once enjoyed. Although not all teenagers enjoy school, it is rare that a teenager will hate everything about school; they will normally like a particular lesson, or day for example. If an teenager suddenly starts failing or regularly playing truant from lessons or if they are normally quiet and cooperative and suddenly turn angry and irritated or even if a teenager with passionate interests suddenly lose all motivation, inclination and momentum to pursue them, depression may be the cause. While behaviour usually changes somewhat during adolescence, the developmental changes are more gradual, less intense and more intermittent than behavioural changes of depressed teenagers. (Blackman 1995)
Once it has been determined that an adolescent has depression, Blackman (1995) suggests that there are two main avenues to treatment: psychotherapy and medication. He claims that the majority of the cases of adolescent depression are mild and can be dealt with through several psychotherapy sessions with intense listening, advice and encouragement. For the more severe cases of depression, especially those with constant symptoms, medication may be necessary and without pharmaceutical treatment, depressive conditions could escalate and become fatal. (Blackman 1995). Regardless of the type of treatment chosen;
"It is important for children suffering from mood disorders to receive prompt treatment because early onset places children at a greater risk for multiple episodes of depression throughout their life span." (Brown 1996)
Until recently, adolescent depression has been largely ignored by health professionals, but now several means of diagnosis and treatment exist.
"Although most teenagers can successfully climb the mountain of emotional and psychological obstacles that lie in their paths, there are some who find themselves overwhelmed and full of stress." (Brown 1996)
Compounding the problem, young people are facing the pressures of life for the very first time, and they have neither the skills nor the experience of adults. Therefore, teenagers often overwhelmed by their surroundings and, in many cases, not inclined to ask for help. These conditions can become fertile ground for the seeds of depression. But, as well as those already mentioned, there are a number of other factors that can contribute to teenage depression. Depression sometimes follows a major loss in the young person’s life, maybe caused by the death of a loved one or the loss of a parent through divorce. Even the death of a much-loved family pet can force a teenager into despair. There are also less obvious types of loss. For example, moving to a new neighbourhood which would mean leaving behind familiar surroundings and close friends. Even achieving a much-anticipated goal, such as leaving school, can trigger feelings of loss. Embarking on a new phase of life for these adolescents implies that they are to lose the comfort and security of the past. Then there are young people who endure some type of chronic illness, like diabetes or asthma. In such circumstance, the pain of being different from their friends may make a teenager feel as if they have lost a degree of normality. It is important to note that many youngsters face such losses without becoming entirely overwhelmed. They get sad, they cry, they grieve, they mourn, but in time they adjust. They appear to take on the pressures of life with an astounding resilience, yet there are some who succumb to the throes of depression. There are no easy answers for this as depression is a complex disorder. But some adolescents may be more vulnerable.
“With the help of teachers, school counsellors, mental health professionals, parents, and other caring adults, the severity of a teen's depression can not only be accurately evaluated, but plans can be made to improve his or her well-being and ability to fully engage life” (Blackman, 1995)
Young people today face a markedly different situation to their predecessors, and one that is still rapidly changing. Many of the changes experienced by most young people have been positive: most are better educated, wealthier, physically healthier and live longer. However, there are also changes, particularly in the nature of the labour market, family relationships and social structures, which means young people face new risks and challenges every single day.
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