Teenage Depression
Victoria Dixon
July 5, 2014
Teen Depression
Adolescence is an unsettling time, with the many physical, emotional, psychological and social changes that accompany this stage of life. Often times these emotional changes, whether hormonal or influenced by life occurrences, or both, are to blame. It can quickly turn into a severe problem like teenage depression and even to suicide. Dealing with these struggles, ups and downs, and challenges as a teen can be scary and difficult. It often requires professional therapy and possible antidepressant medications to help teens cope with such trying times. While all teens experience their fair share of emotional turmoil, teenage depression can take a dangerous turn when it continues for weeks on end without the teen being able to figure out a way to cope. Psychological risk factors for depression include low self-esteem, poor body image, a tendency to be highly self-critical, and feeling helpless when dealing with negative events. Teen depression and other mood disorders are somewhat associated with the stress of body changes, including the fluctuating hormones of puberty, as well as teen ambivalence toward increased independence, and with changes in their relationships with parents, peers, and others. Teenagers who suffer from conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), clinical anxiety, or who have cognitive and learning problems, as well as trouble relating to others are at higher risk of also developing depression. While the exact cause of depression is unknown, it has been suggested that a combination of biological factors and environmental stressors contribute to the onset and progression of the disorder. Depression tends to run in families, suggesting that it is largely hereditary. An individual is more likely to develop the condition if she or he has a close relative with depression than someone who does not have a family link to it, while depression may be generational
July 5, 2014
Teen Depression
Adolescence is an unsettling time, with the many physical, emotional, psychological and social changes that accompany this stage of life. Often times these emotional changes, whether hormonal or influenced by life occurrences, or both, are to blame. It can quickly turn into a severe problem like teenage depression and even to suicide. Dealing with these struggles, ups and downs, and challenges as a teen can be scary and difficult. It often requires professional therapy and possible antidepressant medications to help teens cope with such trying times. While all teens experience their fair share of emotional turmoil, teenage depression can take a dangerous turn when it continues for weeks on end without the teen being able to figure out a way to cope. Psychological risk factors for depression include low self-esteem, poor body image, a tendency to be highly self-critical, and feeling helpless when dealing with negative events. Teen depression and other mood disorders are somewhat associated with the stress of body changes, including the fluctuating hormones of puberty, as well as teen ambivalence toward increased independence, and with changes in their relationships with parents, peers, and others. Teenagers who suffer from conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), clinical anxiety, or who have cognitive and learning problems, as well as trouble relating to others are at higher risk of also developing depression. While the exact cause of depression is unknown, it has been suggested that a combination of biological factors and environmental stressors contribute to the onset and progression of the disorder. Depression tends to run in families, suggesting that it is largely hereditary. An individual is more likely to develop the condition if she or he has a close relative with depression than someone who does not have a family link to it, while depression may be generational