The Problem Of Adolescent Depression

This topic came from the thought that depression is something that all of us have experienced at some point in our lives. It focuses on adolescents because during this period we are young and vulnerable and may not know how to cope with situations or circumstances that may lead us into depression. Factors such as going through puberty and issues at home with parents can all cause depression. This paper will talk about what is depression, how families can affect depression in the child, and how depression can lead to long term effects.

In this paper, readers will explore the psychological disorder of major depression. Depression is a very mental illness that affects many adolescents. Readers will also explore the symptoms of depression, like loss of interest, loss of sleep, etc. As many causes of this mental illness are categories in factors like neurological and social for depressed adolescents. Readers will read about the treatments of depression ranging from anti-depressants to electroconvulsive therapy in case studies mentioned. Finally, readers will understand what major depressive disorder is and how it could affect an adolescent in their times of trouble.

Depression is being seen in more children and teenagers. It strikes as many as 2.5 % of children and 8.3 % of teenagers in the United States today. The recent research published in Pediatrics examined psychosocial issues in thousands of children ranging from ages 4 to 15. Low-grade depression or dysthymia can begin during childhood or teenage years. While full-blown depression most often starts in middle adulthood. Within five years of experiencing major depression, 20 to 40 % of teenagers are most likely to develop bipolar disorder

Depression is a leading cause of death among adolescents- So why aren’t we doing more about it? “Experts estimate that 5% of all adolescents will suffer from depression. Unfortunately, only 20% of depressed adolescents are appropriately diagnosed and treated” (DBSA). A depressive disorder is a disease that affects mood, thoughts and behavior. It is also the reaction of the human to the unfavorable surroundings or environment. DBSA otherwise known as Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance states, “When a bad day turns into a bad week, month or more, there may be a medical explanation for this change in behavior of feelings of hopelessness” (DBSA). Many parents may think that a young adolescent is moody or unhappy because it is a natural part of being young and growing up. However, “Persistent unhappiness or moodiness is not normal for anyone” (DBSA). If depression was better recognized, treatment was more readily available, and depressed adolescents adhered to treatment, adolescent life could be enjoyed by millions that would otherwise suffer.

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

Paediatric depression (depression that usually affects youth ages five to eighteen, or in some cases, individuals up to age twenty-one) is on the rise, and is quickly becoming a significant issue in today’s society. Recent estimates have placed its prevalence at a combined percentage of between two and seven percent for those between the ages of six and eighteen years old. Identified by a range of symptoms including: “low mood, anhedonia [the inability to feel pleasure], defiance, pessimism, morbid thoughts and somatic symptoms,” (710) adolescent depression, very similar to adult depression, takes a toll on the lives of adolescent youth and often alters their personalities, actions and behaviors. It is clear that adolescent depression is a serious illness that should be combatted in a timely and appropriate manner, and Bermingham and Shearer’s suggestion of psychotherapy as an initial method of treatment for people

Depression is a disease that afflicts the human psyche in such a way that the afflicted tend to act and react abnormally toward others and themselves. Adolescent depression is greatly under diagnosed, and leads to serious difficulties in school, and personal adjustment. The reason why depression is often overlooked in children is because children are not always able to express how they feel. Therefore, teachers should be trained in dealing with depressed youths, and to advise the parents of the child to seek professional treatment. School is the place where children spend most of their waking hours learning, socializing, and growing. A child needs to be mentally healthy in order to learn properly, and sometimes problems arise at home, with

The rate of adolescents with clinical depression, particularly among young teen girls and young women, has increased over the decade ending in 2014. Major depressive episodes, also known as clinical depression, occur when someone develops a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities along with other depressive symptoms consistently for at least two weeks.

Major depression is one of the common disorders in adolescents. Depression in adolescents is common due to their inability to process emotions in a health manor (Martin, 2016). Depression in adolescents is defined as mood swings, alternating period of depression, and mania also known as Bipolar Disorder. Depression is a main problem in adolescence and childhood stages of life. It isn’t usual for an adolescent to feel down or occasionally depressed. Being an adolescent is usually the toughest time with many physically, emotional, and social changes. Depression maybe hard to diagnose in some individuals because most adults just expect teens to act moody. Many adolescents also do not always understand their feeling, and don't quite know how to

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

Depression is a mental illness faced by millions of people every day. People can try to help as much as they can, but sometimes it does not do much, and they become depressed anyway ("Depression In Teens”).

Depression is a mental disorder that affects any group of people with any background, race, gender, or age; it is sneaky, slips quietly and gradually into people’s lives. Confusion is common about depression, for example, about what precisely it is and what makes it different from just feeling down. “Depression is second only to hypertension as the most common chronic condition encountered in general medical practice (Whooley).” This disease is defined as someone who constantly feels down, sad all the time; or just loses the interest of life and other symptoms may vary. This syndrome has been more common for teenagers because it’s when puberty kicks in and are more emotional. They have to deal with pressure problems at school, problems at

Everyday, teenagers have a routine. They usually get up, go to school, and come home. Each of these activities are filled with many complex issues, stress related problems, and pressure. These issues can lead to depression. Every 1 teenager out of 5 will develop a type of depression (Jones 1). “Adolescent depression is a disease that affects the psyche in a way that the person affected with it will act and react abnormally toward others and themselves” (Blackman 2). About 19 million Americans are diagnosed with some sort of depression. 9 million of them are adolescents (Jones 1). Suicide is affiliated with depression greatly. 15% of all adolescents who are diagnosed with depression commit suicide (Jones 1). “Since 1995, suicide is

Up until a few decades ago, you could never think about linking children with mental depression. Children were considered too small or just too immature to be depressed. Children were always happy as they had very few tensions and we, as their parents, would ensure that nothing too stressful intruded into their idyllic lives. They were never ever depressed. Unfortunately, with changing times come changing rules of civilization! We are now in the 21st century, and nowadays, depression among children is common. Doctors have now recognized mental depression in children as a clinical issue that is causing rising concern all over the world. More and more children, are being recognized by doctors or psychiatrists as suffering from mental depression.

Depression is best described as a mental disorder in which you are in a low mood which is feeling sad and a loss of interest to do daily activities ( MacGill, N.D.). Not just sad as if you are having one bad day or a day where you feel like being lazy, instead it’s a constant every day battle to try and be happy and do your own daily routine. This can lead to physical and emotional problems and can affect how you behave, feel, and think. Sometimes you may notice they have trouble doing their day to day activates and some may feel as life isn’t worth living anymore. Depression affects more than more than fifteen million adults starting from the age of eighteen and older (Facts & Statistics, N.D.). Some people are against treatment and therapy