It is common for teens to experience depression throughout their development. There can be many factors that play into this, including their ongoing brain development, social stressors, and academic stressors. One of the best ways to approach teen depression is to provide them a space to talk through their experiences without judgment. By exploring what exacerbates depressive symptoms and making plans to cope with these stressors and triggers, teens can not only overcome their depression but also learn skills to help maintain their wellbeing throughout their lives.
As teens develop, their brains are changing constantly. Like many mental health concerns, it is common to see depression symptoms emerge between the ages of 12 and 25 as these are some of the most intense years of brain development. For some teens, changes in mood may emerge slowly over time leading to a sense that your child just seems different than the happy kid they once were. For others, depression can come on more quickly, usually in response to a major event such as the death of a friend or loved one, experiences of bullying, major family changes such as divorce, or traumatic events.
What Are the Signs of Depression in Teens?
The signs of depression in teens are very similar to those seen in adults, but teens may express their depressed mood in different ways. Two of the most observable signs of depression in teens, adolescents, and young adults include withdrawal and irritability. Withdrawal may include teens staying in their room constantly, avoiding family time, not wanting to spend time with friends, or no longer engaging in the hobbies they once loved. Often, these behaviors are due to the effects of depression that cause teens to feel tired, unmotivated, and experience a loss of interest in activities. Irritability may be expressed in many ways. Often teens will appear annoyed by even simple questions, even becoming angry at times or raising their voice. They may also shut down when spoken to and refuse to engage in conversations or activities. To many, they may generally appear to have a “bad attitude.” In reality, however, these behaviors are due to the severe exhaustion and emotional pain caused by depression.
Consider times in which you feel sad, down, or even depressed yourself – it can be very difficult to carry on with conversations and other interactions throughout your day. Now imagine that you are a teen who is experiencing this for the first time! With the start of depression comes a lot of confusion, loneliness, and hopelessness. It makes sense for teens to struggle with thoughts such as, “will I ever feel happy again?” “why can’t I just snap out of it?” or “I must be the only one who feels this way.”
How Can We Help Struggling Teens?
Talk to them! Talking to your kids about your own experiences of sadness or depression can help them feel less alone and find hope in seeing how you manage and overcome similar experiences. Giving teens a place to talk with a counselor can also help by providing them a space in which they can focus solely on themselves and not worry about how others are perceiving them. There are many research-supported treatments available for teen depression, with one of the most popular approaches being Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). When used to treat depression, CBT can help to uncover patterns in teen depression, including what triggers depressive symptoms and what responses increase or reduce symptoms. The goal of this treatment is to help teens understand the connection between their depressive emotions and thoughts so that they can challenge self-defeating beliefs that cause hopelessness and sadness. By doing so, teens can begin to feel better and start to re-engage with their friends, families, interests, and motivations.
If you are noticing that your teen seems sad, argumentative, stressed, withdrawn, or just not themselves – reach out and get them support. With early intervention, teens can overcome and ward off depression through developing the tools they need to support themselves!