Reasons For The Teenage Depression

This paper will explore the variables that contribute to Teen Depression and provide the reader with a closer look at each variable’s effect. This is a topic that is not widely discussed so the facts provided may be surprising to some but disheartening to most. Depression is a big problem in today’s society, but most importantly in teenagers and it has yet to be addressed. Depression is a sickness just like the common cold or the Flu. It’s a sickness of the mind and should be nurtured just like any other ailment.

Teens are going to all extents to get their voices heard and somehow what they are doing is still not enough. This is something that is weighing heavily on the current generation and if it is not taken care of it will linger into the generations after. Something much changes but change starts with knowing the facts and understanding the facts. Understanding that millions of teens are suffering from Depression worldwide, and most are suffering alone.

Get quality help now

Writer Lyla

Verified writer

Proficient in: Depression And Anxiety

5 (876)

“ Have been using her for a while and please believe when I tell you, she never fail. Thanks Writer Lyla you are indeed awesome ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

A total of 792 adolescents, ages 11 to 21, completed a survey that contained a mixture of responses but most importantly many of the kids said things like: “I’m sad a lot and no one knows”, “People are unfriendly to me”, “In the morning I don’t want to get out of bed and I don’t know why”. Depression is very prominent in adolescents but it seems like something that’s not acknowledged enough.

The stigma that persists in society regarding mental health is one of the many setbacks that most face.

Something that goes unacknowledged only lingers or worsens. Many things contribute to this ongoing stigma like: first, The Lack of Acknowledgment, additionally, The Lack of Family Support, and finally, The Constant use of Social Media. A mental health disorder is characterized by persistently depressed moods or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life. There are millions of people who suffer from Depression but Teens are the only group suffering alone, suffering in silence. According to an article full of statistics about Teen Depression, Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for young people ages 15-24 due to depression. This is an issue that cannot continue, it has to be resolved so that Teens all around the world are aware that their life matters and always will. As indicated by high schooler defeat estimations, around 20% of youngsters have or are beginning at now encountering misery signs. Furthermore, that bars self-shrewdness or suicide/attempted suicide. Since misery is winding up such a basic issue, the upper fix has taken off; yet is it truly doing what it should? On the off chance that stimulant use is stretching out, for what reason are the measures of dispirited adolescents making or continuing as beforehand? I trust that at any rate antidepressants can be useful now and again, they will when all is said in done reason dynamically reactions and issues over the long haul. Elective decisions have been appeared to work correspondingly too without the extraordinarily befuddling and maybe authentic signs of upper medications. Right when antidepressants were first shown, they were viewed as a marvel remedy for those battling with hopelessness; an astonishing and inventive 'cheerful pill' for the general population who were clinically unsettled. In their beginnings as new medications, they were not recommended except for if fundamental. Nowadays, regardless, antidepressants are recommended at even the likelihood of even wretchedness responses.

The medical community once believed depression affected only adults but actually, the risk for the condition can begin in childhood or the early teens and has the possibility to increase steadily through the mid-20s. Around 15 percent of young people will have experienced an episode of depression by the end of their teenage years according to multiple studies. Depression in children, teens, and young adults is much more than a “phase.” It's a real condition that can interfere with daily life, lead to suicidal thoughts and behavior, and go on to affect a person through life.

Teens with depression often look and act differently than adults with depression. For example, teens are usually irritable, while most may believe the teen is acting “moody”, there is a high chance that they might be suffering from Depression.

Depression may go on for a long period of time, staying undiagnosed, as the symptoms a person faces may not be easily identified as being Depression. Symptoms and signs of depression will vary based on age, length of symptoms, and individual endurance. Sometimes teens feel so depressed that they consider ending their lives. “Each year, almost 5,000 young people, ages 15 to 24, kill themselves. The rate of suicide for this age group has nearly tripled since 1960, making it the third leading cause of death in adolescents and the second leading cause of death among college-age youth”, according to Dr. Lapses, Doctor at Oakland Medical.

Depression is serious and, if left untreated, can worsen to the point of becoming life-threatening. If depressed teens refuse treatment, it may be important for family members or other involved adults to seek professional/medical advice.

It’s no mystery that many adults frequently clown on and completely ignore the current generation. We’re known as ignorant, full of ourselves, and extremely childish. They say that we can’t change anything. Children are to be seen, not heard. Adults claim that teenagers cannot even fathom what the “real world” is. We are made fun of and told to grow up. Our thoughts and opinions are viewed as nothing. Adults expect us to care about what they have to say, but they do not return the gesture and listen to teens. One of the most important things one can do for their teenager is to work on strengthening the relationship. Try to build empathy and understanding by putting yourself in his/her shoes. Parents often get frustrated that their child seems down and irritable a lot of the time and do not seem to be doing much of anything to help themselves but if there isn’t much in their life that is making them happy, or something extremely disappointing has happened to them, it’s understandable that they might avoid things they used to enjoy and retreat to their room. Depression makes even doing the smallest things more difficult.

To make matters worse, teens are developmentally more likely to neglect adult input as they strive to be independent and find their own medium. At the very time when they are faced with huge changes– graduating from high school, deciding if college is the right fit or not, moving away from home, and the friends they know —your advice and desire to help are met with reluctance.

No degree of affirmation or motivation seems to be good enough, because you cannot give your teen what they're looking for, a feeling that everything will turn out just fine.

Parents can raise awareness about their teenager and depression by seeing a doctor who can diagnosis Teen Depression. There is no other way around that. Unlike a tummy ache or the common cold that can be treated with a home remedy like hot soup, teen depression needs to be diagnosed by a doctor, as there are different types of depression, which means there are different treatments. If one is unsure that this or teen is experiencing is depression, they can use these resources to help. If one wants to know what could be causing their teen's depression, go to the source and talk to your teen. They may be able to give you an answer or they may not know themselves. Either way, talking to your teen will help you keep the lines of communication open with them while they are working through their Illness. Children and adolescents are not mini-adults. They are developing and changing at a fast pace, even when they experience a depressive episode. As such, symptoms can get better and worsen throughout treatment. You might find that the depression seems to have lifted, only to notice a relapse in depressive behavior a few days later. Irritability, feeling overwhelmed, and outbursts are common in depressed children according to psychologists at Oakland Medical. As hard as this can be for the parent on the receiving end of these actions, parents must remain calm and focus on active listening. It’s the natural tendency for the parent to want to “fix” it or somehow put a stop to it, but mental illness is complex. It can’t be fixed or stopped. It can, however, getting better with proper treatment and supports in place, your child can thrive and enjoy childhood again.

Teens need adult guidance more than ever to understand all the emotional and physical changes they are experiencing. When teens’ moods are in disarray their ability to function on a day-to-day basis becomes more challenging. Parents or caregivers must take action.

“Teenagers have felt a need to fit in with their peer groups long before social media was even a thing, but technology hugely intensifies the problem. Most people want to show off to the world when posting online, so they will only highlight their best moments. Going to social events, attending concerts, and reaching milestones are some of the things that teenagers like to publish on their social media accounts” According to social specialists. Even though everyone has problems, people don't like to post the negative events of their lives online. When teenagers scroll through their newsfeed, it's easy for them to think that all of their friends and classmates are perfect, making them feel left out. Research shows an increase in major depressive episodes from 8.7% in 2005 to 11.3% in 2014 in adolescents and from 8.8% to 9.6% in young adults. The increase was larger and only statistically significant only in the age range of 12 to 20 years.1 “Clearly depression is on the rise among teens, the question we need to ask ourselves is how much do technology and social media contribute to it? Among teens who use social media the most -- more than five hours a day -- the study showed a 50% increase in depressive symptoms among girls versus 35% among boys when their symptoms were compared with those who use social media for only one to three hours daily. Researchers are just beginning to establish a link between depression and social media. While they have not actually discovered a cause and effect relationship between social media and depression, they have discovered that social media use can be associated with an intensification of the symptoms of depression, including a decrease in social activity and an increase in loneliness”. For instance, a study published in Computers in Human Behavior found that the use of multiple social media sites is more strongly associated with depression than the amount of time spent online. According to the study, people who used more than seven social media platforms had more than three times the risk of depression than people who used two or fewer sites. What's more, several additional studies have shown that the prolonged use of social media may be related to the signs and symptoms of depression as well as low self-esteem, especially in children. The number of social media platforms used and how often they are used is related to youth mental health. A recent study found that the more social media platforms an adolescent uses, the more likely they are to have symptoms of depression and anxiety, regardless of overall time spent on social media. Teens should know that just like in face-to-face conversation, there are social etiquettes to follow. And parents, caregivers, and even teachers can educate teens on the ways to appropriately communicate online. Furthermore, in addition to simply being polite, adolescents should know not to fall prey to the illusion of being anonymous. It’s like when adults are driving – there’s more of a tendency to express anger or rage even – because it’s safer to express your true feelings when you’re not facing someone directly. The same is true online.

The stigma that persists in society regarding mental health is one of the many setbacks that most face. Something that goes unacknowledged only lingers or worsens. Many things contribute to this ongoing stigma like: first, The Lack of Acknowledgment, additionally, The Lack of Family Support, and finally, The Constant use of Social Media. A mental health disorder is characterized by persistently depressed moods or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life. There are millions of people who suffer from Depression but Teens are the only group suffering alone, suffering in silence. According to an article full of statistics about Teen Depression, Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for young people ages 15-24 due to depression. This is an issue that cannot continue, it has to be resolved so that Teens all around the world are aware that their life matters and always will. Something much changes but change starts with knowing the facts and understanding the facts. Understanding that millions of teens are suffering from Depression worldwide, and most are suffering alone.