Did you know that depression doesn’t just exist in adults but teens too? Teens can be depressed because of things that’s going on at home with their family; they might be a foster kid, or their parents may have gotten divorced and they feel like no one can relate and they don’t have anyone to talk about it to, or they may feel embarrassed or ashamed about it.
Teens can suffer from school demands, having a lot of work, not getting the help they need, are scared of asking for help, be unmotivated to doing the work, fall behind in responsibilities, worried and stressed because they don’t know what to do.
Teens may feel like they can’t talk to anyone or ask for help. Teens may also feel like they don’t want to bother or interrupt anyone because they may be too busy to help or they may not want to help out so the kid may be facing emotional distress because they feel like no one would want to help them or they may feel like a burden.
According to an article from UCLA Health Teen depression: How to spot the signs, it states, “About 11-20% of kids will experience at least one episode of clinical depression by the time they are 18.” Depression can be both immediate and long term. It can also trigger other self-risk behaviors such as smoking, substance abuse, unsafe sex, and obesity.
How do you know the signs of depression? The signs of depression can be summed up in the article’s acronyms D.U.M.P.S. which stands for:
D: Definite change in mood
U: Unmotivated or losing interest in friends
M: Morbid preoccupation, often talking about death, watching movies about death, giving things away
P: Pessimistic or hopeless outlook, often down on themselves
S: Somatic complaints, or physical symptoms such as stomachache, headache, or poor sleep.
If you notice any of these signs or behaviors in yourself, it can suggest that you have depression.
How do you help a loved one or friend who is depressed? In order to help a loved one who you think has depression, have them seek out medical support. Therapy counseling can also help reduce depression. As a friend, show encouragement, and be a good listener. For example, don’t judge, let them talk. Be a good friend, show signs of support and positive encouragement.
While teens who engage in cutting don’t intend to end their lives that way, their willingness to hurt themselves might indicate a greater risk that they may attempt suicide. More than 50% of children and adolescents who die by suicide have previously self-harmed, according to the 2022 study described above.
