It is very common for young people to experience occasional moodiness or periods of sadness. Yet with depression rates on the rise amongst adolescents and teenagers (approximately 12.5% of youth today have experience at least one major depressive episode), it is vital to distinguish between “the normal” mood changes and symptoms of depression. Common signs of depression in teens include:
The first step to getting your teen the depression treatment they need is to have them assessed by a medical or mental health professional. Once a formal diagnosis of depression is made, treatment options can be discussed. Although treatment may look slightly different for everyone, a combination of psychotherapy and medication is often the first approach used.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy (also referred to as counseling or talk therapy) is where a mental health professional sits down with your teenager to talk about their depression. Through the process of psychotherapy your teen can discover the underlying causes and contributing factors to their depression, as well as:
While there are numerous approaches to psychotherapy, when it comes to depression, certain models have shown to be the most effective, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical-behavioral therapy (DBT). CBT can help teens better understand the connection between their thoughts and feelings, and how these things influence behavior. Through gaining this awareness, teens are able to then benefit from DBT, where they can learn ways to challenge their thoughts, cope with their feelings in healthier ways, and modify their behavior overall.
Medication
Many depressed teens benefit from taking medication, especially the more severe cases. There are many different categories of antidepressant medication, and each works to modify the way the brain processes the neurotransmitters that effect emotion regulation and mood, such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. The five major classes of antidepressants are:
Some parents may feel hesitant to put their teenager on medication for depression. Just like anything, there are pros and cons to using medication to treat depression, and it is important to know what these are, prior to making a decision about this treatment approach. For many teens, antidepressants are effective in treating the difficult side effects of depression. Antidepressants have been shown to be effective in various ways including increased focus and attention, elevated mood, improved appetite and sleep patterns, decreased anxious and/or restless feelings (which often occur with depression), and decreased suicidal thoughts.
But just like most medications, antidepressants can have side effects. The general side effects tend to affect each person differently (in terms of severity, prevalence, etc.). Nonetheless, it is important for you and your teen to discuss the possible effects with a medical or mental health professional, prior to starting a course of antidepressants. Some general side effects include:
Also important to note is that antidepressants are not a “quick fix.” These medications can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks to begin to relieve symptoms. Thus, if your teen begins antidepressants, it may be helpful for them to seek additional treatment (such as psychotherapy) while the medication has time to start “working.”
Providing Support at Home
Although depression is a serious mental illness, and treatment should be sought as soon as possible, there are things you can do at home to help support your teenager.
Depression is a serious mental illness, and one that, if not treated could become deadly. If you think your teenager may be suffering from depression, do not wait to get them help.
This post was last modified on August 26, 2024 9:08 am
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