Depression in Children and Adolescents
by The adolescent years are full of hormonal adjustments, body development, and elevated emotions. These traits are seen as typical of the adolescence process, yet they possibly could be signs of depression.
With the purpose of providing trustworthy information to individuals about physical and mental health, the National Institute for Mental Health is the leader in their field of expertise. With online information collected from various psychologists, physicians, nurses, and caregivers, they aim to assist individuals regarding their mental health. The website contains vast and diverse information regarding various topics relating to mental health.
The adolescent years are full of hormonal adjustments, body development, and elevated emotions. These traits are seen as typical of the adolescence process, yet they possibly could be signs of depression. Depression in adolescent children normally goes unseen and unnoticed by families and physicians; a number of studies have shown that up to 8.3 percent of all adolescents in the U.S. suffer from depression.
Signs of an adolescent being affected by depression are: persistent sad or irritable moods, loss of interest in enjoyed activities, change in appetite and body weight, feeling worthlessness and guilt, changed sleeping patterns, social isolation, lack of interest in friends, talk or efforts to run away from home, difficulty concentrating, and suicidal thoughts. Once these symptoms are recognized, parents must obtain help for their child immediately. If left unattended, the child’s physical and future mental health is at risk. Because mental health affects physical health, the child might start to experience an increase in illness, fatigue, and weight loss due to depression. This depression can increase adolescent suicide attempts, thus the parent should be worried about the physical and mental health of their child.
Short term psychotherapy and possibly medication are recommended to treat depressed adolescents. Parents must also take an active stance and begin communicating with their adolescent more frequently to assure that their child is receiving extra love and support on their hard days. Depression is a serious problem; it must be treated properly.
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