The teenage years can often be years marked by moodiness, difficult behavior, and changes in temperament. It can be hard to distinguish between what is the normal growing up process, and what might be a sign of something darker.
Here’s how to identify signs of teenage depression in your child, and what you can do to help them overcome what is often a difficult time for many children.
What is teen depression?
Here in the United States, teen depression is a significant problem, with approximately 20% of 12-17 year olds reporting major depressive disorder in the past year.
Teen depression is much like adult depression — it’s characterized by extended periods of low mood, low self-esteem, or high self-doubt, and the potential for dangerous thoughts linked to self-harm or suicidal ideation.
On top of this, however, becoming a teenager can be difficult for many children — it’s a time of great change, puberty, and the development of the brain. These changes can lead to increased stress and heightened emotional sensitivity. Many teens are also dealing with difficult social factors, including an online social world that can be hard to navigate, peer pressure at school, and academic stressors.
How to identify teen depression
Teen depression can be identified by many of the same signs as adult depression, but it’s important to note that general moodiness can be a normal sign of development. Things become more serious if that low mood becomes extreme or lasts for a very long time. Depression is usually characterized by persistent sadness or low mood for at least two weeks and is more intense than typical mood swings.
Look out also for signs like a loss of interest or pleasure in activities that your child may have once enjoyed. This can include a lack of motivation to participate in sports or social activities they used to look forward to. At home, you might also notice changes in sleep, appetite, or energy level.
This can include sleeping too much or not sleeping enough, or a significant change in eating habits (whether that be eating more or less than usual). Dropping grades can signal difficulty concentrating or trouble with academic motivation. Also, notice if your child is starting to withdraw from friends, family, or other peers in social activities, becoming generally more isolated.
As a parent, it of course can be hard to notice changes like these without feeling like you’re overstepping your boundaries or even spying on your children. Make sure you always ask your children respectfully about their well-being before making assumptions.
How to help depressed teenagers
If you feel your teenager needs help for a serious bout of depression (not just fighting the blues temporarily), here are some next steps:
Talk to your child transparently
Sit your child down and ask them respectfully, and from the position of wanting to help them, about their mental health. Try to phrase it using “I” statements, rather than “you” statements, which can feel aggressive. For example, you might say: “I’ve noticed recently that you’ve been missing some school and your grades have dropped a bit. You’re not in trouble, but I wanted to ask if you’ve been okay and how your mental health has been. Is there anything that I can do to help?”
Find ways to encourage physical health
Research has found an undeniable link between physical exercise and mental health. Make sure your teenager has appropriate time and avenues to explore different modes of mental health. As a parent, this could take the form of funding their sporting activity (like the gym, or some type of physical training like tennis or dance classes), or it might be helping them with scheduling to make sure that they feel they have enough time to do the physical exercise that they enjoy.
Get professional help if appropriate
It’s important to seek professional help where appropriate. That is, if you feel your teenager’s depression has reached the point where it’s no longer appropriate for you as a parent to try to “solve” the issue. This can take the form of therapy or counseling, or perhaps psychological support in the form of mood stabilizers and other medication.
If you decide to set up appointments with a doctor or mental health professional, make sure that they’re qualified, through courses like the Wilkes psych NP program or similar. Search for testimonials and ask around in your social circles for any other parents who might have gone through the same thing — it’s also worth searching on Facebook for other support groups who can recommend professionals or other avenues to explore.
At the end of the day, it can be devastating as a parent for your child to be experiencing depression, but remember that this is not an untreatable problem. With the right support and the right steps, your child can learn to find joy in life again.
Also read:
Why Group Therapy Benefits Troubled Teens
5 Benefits of Therapuetic Boarding Schools
Image credit: Freepik
