In an article entitled “How to Spot Signs of Teen Depression”, written by Kate Hurley LCSW, and reviewed by Allison Young MD on October 9, 2019, Hurley reports that “depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States, with 17.3 million adults (7.1% of the adult population) and approximately 2.3 million teens (9.4% of the adolescent population) diagnosed with the disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.” According to the National Institute for Mental Health, this number jumped to 12% of the adolescent population post COVID and was defined as severe enough to impair their ability to perform their normal day-to-day activities.
So how can we tell if our teens are suffering from depression, or if they are experiencing normal teenage moodiness? In teens it is much harder to spot actual signs of depression because these years are marked by changing hormones, shifting emotions, and simply a desire for increased independence. According to Kate Hurley, there are some signs parents can look for that can tip them off to their teenager’s mental state:
- Depression is often manifest as physical symptoms. If your child is complaining of the following symptoms for a period of 2 weeks or more, perhaps the problem is more than simply physical:
- Headaches
- Stomachaches
- Loss of appetite or other significant change in eating habits
- Muscular pain (including stiff neck and other pains)
- Fatigue
2. Sleep Disturbance: Some teens suffer from insomnia at night and struggle to stay awake during the day, while others simply want to sleep all the time. Still other teens have no trouble falling asleep but can’t stay asleep to get a full night rest and are always tired.
3. While increased anger is often a sign of depression, it is not the only one. Watch for changes in mood such as the following over an extended period of time:
- Irritability
- Anger
- Depressed mood
- Feelings of guilt
- Feeling helpless (“I can’t ever get my grades up. It’s too late.”)
- Feeling hopeless (“I’ll never get into college. I have no future.”)
- Pervasive feelings of sadness or unhappiness
- Feeling worthless or like a disappointment
- Frequent crying
- Suicidal thoughts or behaviors
4. Your teen might have trouble focusing or concentrating. This might start happening, not only at school, but while doing things he or she enjoys such as playing a video game or watching TV. You might observe your son’s mind wandering during a ball game that would generally have his full attention.
5. When depressed some youth resort to alternative/ adaptive behaviors:
- Drug or alcohol use
- Reckless behavior (such as driving too fast or having unprotected sex)
- Missing school
- Skipping out on important appointments
- Ignoring self-care (appearing unkempt, not showering regularly, or refusing regular medications)
- Social isolation
- Refusing to participate in normal daily activities
- Fighting with family and friends
- Self-harm (cutting or eating disorders)
- Poor grades
- Vaping or smoking cigarettes
When teens rely on coping strategies their depression can become worse until they get the help they need. However, if they get the help they need, they can learn coping strategies that can get them through their depression at this stage and help them cope with problems in the future.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 to 24 according to the American Psychological Association. If you or someone you know has thoughts of suicide, seek immediate help from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or dial the Suicide Crisis Line at 988.