Teenage depression is a mood disorder characterized by intense negative feelings and emotions. Depression goes beyond temporary feelings of sadness; it is a mental disorder that affects the way one’s mood is controlled by their brain. It is a serious medical illness that affects one’s thoughts, feelings, behavior, mood and physical health. These feelings can have a negative impact on a teenager’s life, leading to social, educational/vocational, personal and family difficulties. Depression is a real disorder that affects about one percent of adolescents by the age of 18 according to the National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A). (March, J. 2004) Teenagers who experience depression tend to have similar symptoms as adults who …show more content…
Tests such as brain-imaging technologies have shown that the brain of a person, who is depressed, tends to differ to those without depression. Some types of depression tend to run in the families genetics. However, depression can still occur in someone who does not have a family history of depression. (Tsuang, MT. 1990) According to some scientist, there is a certain gene that may make some people more prone to developing depression. Besides genetic factors, depression can also occur when someone goes through a traumatic situation such as the loss of a loved one, a breakup, or any other stressful situation that may trigger a depressive episode. Most teens will show signs and symptoms of depressive illnesses. Some teens may develop a sense of worthlessness over poor performances in school, social statuses, sexual orientation, and family life. Some teens may even develop environmental stress due to depression. Teens with depression will start to have a noticeable change in their thinking, attitude and behavior. Some teens will show signs such as a loss of interest in activities, changes in eating habits and sleeping habits, difficulty concentrating, fatigue and lack of energy and the lack of enthusiasm and motivation in something they once enjoyed. Many rebellious teenagers, who tend to act out, are actually suffering from depression and are trying to find a way to cope with their emotional pain. Depression can have many effects on a
It is not uncommon to hear stories about a teenager experiencing mood swings and rebelling against those in authority. Nor is it uncommon to experience general sadness or anxiety in high school and college. However, it is often difficult to tell the difference between normal teenage angst and clinical depression. It is not commonly known that there has recently been a staggering rise of depression in adolescents. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in twelve adolescents in the United States suffer from depression, which is 8.3 % of the teenage population. In order to combat the problem of adolescent depression, it is essential that parents take an active role in their adolescent’s life by both acknowledging and
Depression is a common disorder throughout the world that affects all age groups. Although rare in young children, depression disrupts the lives of many teenagers. In the United States, 11.2% of 13 to 18 year olds are affected by depressive disorders annually (National Institute of Mental Health). Depression during youth is particularly destructive since it not only causes a loss of relationships and
Often dismissed as childish “moodiness,” depression is one of the most common psychological problems that afflict teenagers. For most teens, the effects of their depression can be felt throughout every area of their lives, from relationships
Adolescence, defined as a period between ages 13 to 19, is challenging for those individuals (Gladding, 2012; Crisp, Gudmundsen, & Shirk, 2006). During this time, adolescents are learning about themselves while also dealing with challenges affecting identity, transitioning in various areas of development, and coping with life stressors. Not being able to effectively deal with presenting challenges can lead to disorders such as depression. Persistent sadness and loss of interest in daily activities that cause impairment in daily functioning are characteristics of depressive disorders (APA, 2013). Adolescents, especially females, are more likely to suffer from depression or depressive like symptoms during their adolescent years (Crisp et al.,
Adolescent depression is a major public health concern. I Need a Lighthouse states that “Approximately 20 Percent of teens will experience depression before they reach adulthood.” Depression is a clinical illness that is an outcome from emotional detachment which typically results from traumatic experiences. “There’s a vast difference between ‘feeling depressed’ and suffering from clinical depression. The despondency of clinical depression is unrelenting and overwhelming. Some people describe it as ‘living in a black hole’ or having a feeling of impending doom. They can’t escape their unhappiness and despair. However, some people
Why are more and more teenagers being diagnosed with a form of depression each year? There are a handful of leading causes that may be the answer to this question. Three different outlooks on the causes include, the increase in depression among teens is due to biological and hormonal changes, school and academic pressures escalates the number of teenagers who suffer from depression, and social influence is a factor in the rising number of depressed adolescents. Hormones, pressures, and substance use, are often new factors that become present in
Depression is a severe mood disorder and it is the most frequently diagnosed psychiatric disorder amongst adolescents. Depression is a state that adolescents can fall easily into. Teenagers spend more time with their friends than they do with their families which can result is possible rejection of peers. Individuals feel the need to have approval of self-worth by their peers. If they get disapproval, this can lead to brutal symptoms. (Platts, Kadosh, Lau 6). The symptoms can vary from self-worthlessness, anxiety, or a
Thousands and thousands of teenagers all around the world suffer from depression. It’s a very common mental disorder that teens have come to terms with. However, people fail to realize that depression can come in a variety of ways and can attack anyone. Many aren’t even aware of the effects that can result from depression. The effects of depression can vary from person to person but the main symptoms of depression in teens are behavioral problems, significant changes in overall character, and possible thoughts of taking one’s life.
Depression has become a serious disorder among adolescents, affecting 11% of American teens (Avenevoli, Swendsen, He, Burstein, & Merikangas, 2015). Adolescent depression is associated with impairments in various important psychosocial areas, such as school, peer, and family functioning (Jaycox et al., 2009). As adolescence is an important time for development and a very vulnerable time, it is important to treat anything that may cause impairments as quickly and as effectively as possible. It is also important to understand the causes of the teen’s depression when working towards recovery.
Many adolescents are having depressive symptoms in their teenage years and the numbers are increasing. The world mental health survey found that half of those who suffer mental issues start having symptoms at the age of 14 (Hales). This illness is also a leading cause to other illnesses. “High school and college students are five to eight times as likely to suffer from depressive symptoms as were teenagers 50 to 60 years ago,” says
Teen’s emotions are changing every day, and with this comes some major depression. This is because teens may feel like with their mood swings that their peers and people they look up to will not like them. Every teen will experience some sort of mood swing but how they deal with it is up to them. “When a teen starts getting depressed they should talk to either their friends, parents, or a consular to help them with their depression” (Smith). Teens show depression on social media and their peers take advantage of that and nobody even cares most of the time until the person takes their life.
Depression: severe despondency and dejection typically felt over a period of time and accompanied by feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy. Depression: a debilitating mental and physical disorder. Depression: an illness that has an uncountable amount of treatments within reach of anyone who suffers, yet in the US alone over 2000 children between the age of 10 and 19 completed in ending their life (National Alliance on Mental Illness). As Kevin Breel speaks about his struggle with trying to allow himself to get the help he needed in his TED Talk, it begs the question: How many teenagers suffer from depression? According to the National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent Supplement, averages of eleven percent of people are diagnosed with a depressive disorder by the age of 18 and as a child increases in age the risk only becomes greater (National Institute of Mental Health). The effects of depression are not just mental but physical, social, and emotional. With the knowledge of the previously stated it is clear that undiagnosed depression in teenagers leads to poor success in school life and personal life, thus causing a repetitive and damaging cycle of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts; it starts in teenage years but doesn’t end once adolescent years have passed.
Today, adolescent depression is a very significant problem. In most cases, depression is the leading cause of why adolescents tend to make rash decisions and cause problems to themselves and also for others. Emerging adulthood coincides with adolescents as it is a time of feeling in-between. A child is growing to become a teen, a teen is becoming a young adult, and the young adult is becoming an mature, independent adult. Throughout this time, there are many paths to choose from, hardships to overcome, decisions to make, and experiences to learn from. This can be the most stressful time in a persons life. All of these things contribute to adolescent stress, anxiety, and depression, which very much so, turns to drug-use, juvenile
The topic of this research paper focused on teenager’s experiences with depression, specifically how they interpret and understand their condition. Little research has been done to study how teenager’s daily activities, relationships and identity are affected while having a condition such as unipolar depression. Meanwhile, numerous amounts of studies have been run to analyze the experiences of adults with depression and the results that were found are relatively similar to the findings within this study. Depression is the most common diagnosis given to teenagers who seek mental health treatment. For those who do not seek treatment usually do not perceive their distress as depression. This can be particularly important because all while trying to diagnose adolescents, they are also experiencing developmental changes that alter their self-awareness and identity. In the development of depression most teens are found trying to identify why they are having these feelings and if it is normal.
Depression is a problem that can affect teens before adulthood. Depression is common amongst teens because of experiences and the many changes they are going through. "Teen depression is a serious mental health problem that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in activities."(MAYO). Many things play a part in teens becoming depressed such as social media, family issues, academics, and just life in general. For some teens, they blow their problems out of portion and over react. While others have serious problems or issues that require medical attention. These issues can be stemmed from traumatic experiences, inherited traits, and medical disorders that can lead to depression. In our society, teens look to social media for guidance and to also define their character. It puts a blindfold on teens eyes and tells them