Teenage Depression : How My Story Can Help Others

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 highly prevalent mental disorder with estimates indicating that it affects up to 6.7 percent of the United States population age eighteen and older in a given year for Major Depression and 1.5 percent for Persistent Depressive Disorder. The prevalence of mental disorders is the greatest among those who are ages 16 to 24 years of age (ADAA, 2016). The prevalence of youth with mood disorders is 11%, with nearly 50% of youth aged 8 to 15 did not receive mental health services in the previous year. The prevalence of adults with major depression is 6.9%, with nearly 60% of adults with a mental illness did not receive mental health services in the previous year (NAMI, 2017). So, as we can see there are numerous studies regarding

Depression has become a daunting problem around the world, with the World Health Organization listing it as the leading cause of disability.1 As well, in 2030 it is anticipated to be second on a list of fifteen major disease burdens.2 In the United States, depression is a large, but often overlooked epidemic. It is estimated that 6.7% of the U.S. population suffer from depression yearly, with a lifetime diagnosis rate of approximately 16%.3,4 Additionally, it is estimated that 4-5% of adolescents are suffering from depression each year, with a lifetime prevalence rate of 11.7% in youth aged 13 to 18.5,6 Although 60-90% of adolescent episodes last one year or less, 50-70% percent are expected to relapse within 5 years.5

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

Studies show that “every 33 children may have depression” and many adults with depression report that their illness began before the age 20. Until the 1980s, doctors didn’t believe that children and teens were mature enough emotionally to have depression. The truth is, teen years can be very overwhelming, adapting to changing bodies, taking on new responsibilities, and forming new relationships. Today teens must cope with different stresses than teens in the past. Children can get depressed simply because they don’t get enough attention or loving from their parents. Young people who have depressed parents, grandparents, or siblings are highly at risk of developing depression, but some people can also be at risk even with no family history of the disorder. In fact, women are more likely to get depression then men. Every year, 17 million people in the U.S have some type of

“Adolescent depression is increasing at an alarming rate. Recent surveys indicate that as many as one in five teens suffers from clinical depression.” Most people confuse depression with just feeling sad or down; however, depression is actually a condition that affects mood in the brain. Depression can affect the way people think, feel, or even act. Depression can last for many months. This is called an episode of depression and most people that have depression or get it will experience many episodes of depression in their lifetime. Negative events can trigger an episode of depression. Some negative events can include loss of a loved one, severe stress, a disability in the family, bullying, etc. According to teenmentalhealth.org, “In a one-year

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

Going through adolescence can be a very unsettling time for most teens. During this time, many physical, emotional, psychological, and social changes occur. Often time’s teens face unrealistic academic, social, or family expectations. These expectations can create a big sense of rejection, which can lead to disappointment. Teens overreact to most things that do not seem to go their way. To make things more difficult, teens are constantly being faced with messages from their friends, parents, or society. The article states that ‘teens need adult guidance more than ever to understand all of the emotional and physical changes they are experiencing’. When these adolescence moods disrupt their ability to function on a daily basis, it may indicate that the individual suffers from depression. This depression rate is increasing at a shocking rate. There have been recent studies that have shown that as many as 1 in 5 teens have clinical depression. Research has found out that there are various factors that contribute to depression, one being too much or too little brain chemicals. Family history with depression can also contribute to an individual’s chances of getting depression (Mental Health America).

The symptoms of a depressed individual often reflect: hopelessness, agitation, guilt, feelings of worthlessness, fatigue, significant weight loss, insomnia and thoughts of suicide. Depression can distort the way that an individual views their lives, self or even the things around them. The effects of depression are expressed in numerous different ways among various age groups. For adolescents and young adults symptoms may include irritability, sadness, avoidance of social interactions and anxiety. This is the time when emotional turmoil and heightened sensitivity are more prevalent. Thus allowing “depression to become the most common psychiatric disorder” (Khan &McCrae).Depression has a wide range of factors making it easy for anyone to obtain which eventually allowed this to become a communal among many different groups of

There are many significant public health issues affecting our youth in today’s society. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 3.2 million adolescents are at risk for developing depression. The World Health Organization has predicted that by the year 2020, one of the largest disease burdens will be depression. Depression is an epidemic that is widespread among teens. It has an extraordinary impact on quality of life. Therefore, more research is necessary to determine what factors can reduce teen depressive rates. (Mammen and Falkner, 2013). Depression is a misunderstood disease. It is more than just sadness. The American Psychological Association describes people with depression as being disinterested and losing the pleasure they used to find in daily activities. Often times they will experience significant

I was 10 when it started. Before then I always thought of depression as something that was obvious to see. I thought that when you had depression you were always negative, you cried every second and you never left your room. But then after years of feeling empty and small, years of thinking “what if I just ended it right now who would even miss me” I realized “oh...this is depression” depression is different for everyone. For some people, depression is not wanting to leave to hang out with your friends and for

The prevalence of depression in American and especially adolescents has immensely increased. The National Institute of Mental Health (n.d.) reported in the year 2013, an average of 2.6 million adolescents between the age of 12 to 17 in the U.S nation

Depression is the most widespread mental illness in today’s society. Studies have found that, 1 out of 8 teens are affected with this disease. It also predominantly affects young ladies than it does males. (www.kidshealth.org). Teens are at a position in their lives when they must face significant transition and peer pressures. They are trying to identify with themselves and trying to figure out where there puzzle piece fits in society, all of which can show the way to behavioral and emotional changes. This is also a stage when families suffer from poor communication: teenagers often tend to keep their feelings and concerns to themselves away from their parents and other authority figures. Therefore, identifying depression in teenagers

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 a word we’re familiar with especially when it comes to adults, we know adults get depress and we understand the reasons, with the high demands in life it’s not uncommon to get lost in the shuffle. Depression in adult is something we have known for many years, but what has surprised many of us is that adolescents also get depressed. I myself still don’t fully understand the reasons why or how this happens. I see it very often adolescent coming in to the ER because they are depressed and want to hurt themselves, and each and every single time I’m shock. What could be so bad in their lives that would make them think they have no way out? This is the reason why I choice this topic, I want to learn more of how this disease affects so many children and teens and what we can do to stop it.