Teenagers and Depression: The Signs and Symptoms

Depression doesn't look the same in a teenager as it does in an adult or a young child. A lot of that comes down to the hormonal shifts happening during these years. If you're trying to work out whether your teen is depressed, the emotional and behavioral changes are where to focus your attention. The hard part is separating what counts as ordinary teenage moodiness from something that needs a response, knowing how to step in, and recognizing the point where professional help becomes necessary.

Here's what makes it tricky: the emotional signs of a depressed teen are easy to wave away as typical adolescent drama. Talking to them directly is usually the clearest way to understand what's actually happening. Ask how they're feeling. Ask whether the stress in their life feels manageable. If they tell you everything feels like too much, that overwhelm may be depression talking rather than a passing mood.

The emotional symptoms cover a lot of ground. Sadness, crying for no reason they can name, irritability, anger, and frustration. A loss of interest in things they used to care about. Guilt, replaying their failures over and over, feeling worthless, blaming themselves, being easily wounded. Trouble concentrating or making even small decisions. A flat, hopeless feeling about life and whatever comes next. And thoughts of death or suicide.

Those feelings surface in visible ways too. A teen might start dressing in black, writing things with a dark or morbid tone, or letting their appearance slide. They may drop out of sports and after-school activities, run low on energy and motivation, complain of constant boredom, and pull away from both friends and family.

Shifts in behavior tend to be easier to catch, especially if you know your kid well. A sharp, sudden change in how they act is your cue to start asking questions, because teens don't usually overhaul their behavior overnight for no reason. Watch for altered sleep patterns, eating much more or much less than usual, drug or alcohol use, restlessness and fidgeting, or the opposite: thinking and speaking that seem slowed down. Also frequent complaints of aches and pains, slipping grades, skipping too much school, reckless choices, angry outbursts, disruptive behavior, and self-harm.

In practice that can mean aggression or abuse toward family members, repeated visits to the school nurse, getting into trouble in class, assignments left undone, staying awake all night and sleeping through the day, running away, cutting, a sudden run of piercings and tattoos, talk of suicide, and suicide attempts.

If you suspect depression, getting your teen to a doctor quickly is the most useful thing you can do. Prepare for the visit together. Talk it through with them beforehand and build a few lists for the doctor: the symptoms you've noticed, any medications, personal details like recent stressors or big life events, and the questions you want answered. Let your teen know what the appointment will involve. A doctor will generally do a physical exam, order some lab work, and carry out a psychological evaluation, which mostly means asking about feelings and behavior.

When you believe your teen might hurt themselves, act without waiting. If the danger feels immediate, get emergency help. Don't leave them by themselves, call 911, or if it's safe to do so, drive them to the nearest hospital emergency department. Suicide is a real danger with teen depression. Never brush off a suicidal comment, even one framed as a joke. Get help immediately.

After a diagnosis, your involvement in the treatment matters. You are your teen's strongest advocate. See that they stick to the plan their doctor laid out, which means keeping every appointment and taking any prescribed medication. Read up on depression and pass what you learn along to your teen; understanding the illness chips away at the shame they may feel and reminds them that recovery is possible. Create a home where they feel safe enough to talk openly about what they're going through. Have a plan ready for if things slide downhill, keep an eye on the warning signs, and be prepared to move. Help them steer clear of alcohol and drugs, and nudge them toward healthier habits like gentle exercise and decent food.

Knowing what you're dealing with is the strongest position you can be in when you think your teen is struggling. Understanding the small ways teen depression differs from the adult version helps you judge whether your child needs professional care. Keep watching for the emotional and behavioral changes that tend to travel with it, and be ready to act. Take them to a doctor, then follow through on the treatment. Give your teen the knowledge to hold onto hope for a future without this weight on them.

- Tina Fuster

Sources: 1. Teen Depression Symptoms. (n.d.). Retrieved December 20, 2014, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/teen-depression-symptoms/000774 2. Teen depression. (n.d.). Retrieved December 20, 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/teen-depression/basics/symptoms/con-20035222