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Inside Teen Depresion Facts
Teen depression can be a transient response to many situations and stresses, common because of the normal maturation process, the stress associated with it, the influence of sex hormones, and independence conflicts with parents. It may also be a reaction to a troubling event, such as the death of a friend or relative, a breakup with a loved one, or difficulty at school. Adolescents, who have low self-esteem, are extremely self-critical and who feel little sense of direct control over negative events are inclined toward teen depression.True teen depression is often difficult to diagnose because normal adolescent behavior is marked by both up and down moods, with alternating periods of feeling that the world is a great place or life sucks feelings, and these moods may alternate over a period of hours or days. Persistent depressed mood, failing school performance, failing relations with loved ones, substance abuse, and other negative behaviors may indicate a serious depressive episode. These symptoms may be easy to recognize, but teen depression often manifests very differently than these classic symptoms. Excessive sleeping, change in eating habits, even criminal behavior like shoplifting may be signs of teen depression. Another common symptom of adolescent depression is a fixation with death, which may take the shape either of suicidal thoughts or of fears about death in general.
Long-term depressive illness usually has its onset in the teen or young adult years -- about 15% to 20% of American have experienced a serious episode of teen depression, which is similar to the proportion of adults suffering from depression. Girls are twice as likely as boys to experience teen depression. Risk factors comprise of stressful life events like the loss of a parent, child abuse, unstable care giving, poor social skills and a family history of depression.
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