Teen Depression
Teen Depression
This condition is a serious mental health issue that leads to continuously feeling of sadness and decrease interest in the activities of life. It changes thinking, feeling and behavior of teenagers. Ultimately causes emotional, functional and physical problems.
Symptoms
Usually teen depression presents as the change in previous attitude and behavior of teenager that lead to much distress and poor performance at school and home. Teens experience depression symptoms such as:
- Feeling of sadness including frequent crying spells without any reason
- Feeling of anger over small matters
- Frustration
- Annoyed
- Irritable
- Decrease or loss of interest in routine work and activities
- Low self-esteem
- Conflict with family and friends
- Problem in concentration
- Feeling of guilty
- Feeling of worthlessness
- Lethargy and loss of energy
- Insomnia or sometimes increase sleeping
- Use of recreational substances
- Anger outburst
- Self harm
- Decrease attention to appearance or self hygiene
- Social isolation
- Suicidal thoughts and attempts
Causes
Exact cause of teen depression is not known. However, different types of issues are involved in it’s cause like:
- Abnormal or impaired functioning of neurotransmitters in brain or nerve receptors lead to depression
- Changes in the hormonal balance
- Inherited
- Physical or emotional abuse during early childhood
- Adaptive pattern of negative thinking
Complications
Untreated and unattended depression can lead to following complications in teens:
- Substance abuse
- Problem in schools
- Relationship difficulties
- Sucide or suicidal attempts
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of depression depends upon detailed medical history and complete general physical examination of the patient. There are many types of depression that must be differentiated during examination of the patient on the basis of specific dominant symptoms like anxious distress, melancholic features or any atypical features. Along with this other tests include:
- Blood tests to evaluate thyroid functions
- Psychological evaluation
Treatment
Treatment options include:
- Medication are prescribed like fluoxetine (Prozac) and escitalopram (Lexapro). These two drugs are also FDA approved.
- As all the medications can work same for all individual. Physician will find right antidepressant for a particular individual along with it’s managing medication.
- Psychotherapy
Lifestyle and home remedies
- Follow treatment program appropriately
- Educate teens about depression and how to manage it
- Encourage teen communication
- Draw attention to alarming features
- Encourage teens to adopt healthy habits