Learned Friend

Depression in teens is a serious matter. Not only can over whelming emotions such as sadness and hopeless interfere with a young person’s life, but such tragedies as teen suicide and school shootings.  Watching for the signs of depression in teens is a responsibility a parent needs to take seriously. If a young person exhibits several signs of depression for days or weeks they should see their pediatrician of health care provider. Anyone talking of suicide no matter how young should be listened to and believed. Anyone showing an active suicidal determination should be taken to emergency and treatment should be immediate.  In other words, if someone says they will kill themselves this has to be acted on no matter what.

Of the signs of depression in teens the clearest might be withdrawing from friends, family, hobbies, sports and other activities. While all teens change friends or want to try new things shutting down completely or having a very sudden personality change is a strong sign of depression. Depressed mood is also among the signs of depression in teens. Feeling down might make them silent or chronic upset, whiny or angry.

Just as with an adult who can’t work through depression the loss of concentration causes a downturn in grades and school performance.  Behavior problems or skipping school is also a sign of trouble. Another of the signs of depression in teens is lack of motivation or decreased energy.  Listlessness might be a warning sign. Depression can also present as irritability, angry or even sudden bouts of rage.  This shouldn’t be simply attributed to adolescent hormones as this is also a sign of depression.

Signs of depression in teens can be tricky to see.  A depressed teen might seem sudden sensitive or even unreasonable oversensitive to criticism.  This can be due to a loss of self-esteem.

Other signs of depression in teens include:

• Difficulty making decisions
• Restlessness
• Reckless behavior
• Changes in eating or sleeping habits
• Suicidal thoughts or statements

A doctor can give a teen showing these signs a simple, but comprehensive questioner that can determine if depression is present in their life. A doctor will also screen for any type of physical issues that might cause depression.