Studies show that one out of every eight teenagers has depression. Teen depression is a mental condition where a teenager experiences symptoms of depression like extreme sadness, apathy, and a sense of isolation. Depression in adolescents can be caused by academic stress, sexual orientation issues, peer pressure, and family problems among others. If your teenager cannot get relief from extreme sadness even after doing the activities they usually like, maybe it’s time to seek medical help.

Symptoms of depression
Teen depression symptoms include apathy, excessive guilt, headaches, fatigue, irresponsible behavior, memory loss, loss of appetite or compulsive eating, rapid weight loss or weight gain, and substance addiction. Notice for changes in your teen’s sleep routine and eating habits, and look out for any extreme emotional outbreak which might be a symptom of teenage depression. Teenage depression can be handled carefully with proper diagnosis and treatment by a child psychologist or therapist.

Diagnosis of teen depression
Teen depression can be diagnosed with the help of physical examination at a psychologist. This will help determine the cause of depression after analyzing the answers to questions asked in the exam. In some cases, depression might be a symptom of a physical health problem, and to understand this underlying cause, a lab test would be prescribed. Thyroid related complications in teens can cause depression, and both can be treated with proper medications. The psychological evaluation process involves an in-depth questionnaire between the doctor and teenager, where the doctor could pinpoint the reason behind depression.

Treatments for teen depression
After confirming depression through a medical examination, the treatment is decided according to the age, mental health state, and family medical history of teens.

• The doctor will try to treat any substance abuse, anxiety or complex mental health issues like bipolar disorder or psychosis.
• Suicidal tendencies or homicidal risks can be treated with proper medications and positive psychotherapy.
• Antidepressants will be prescribed if necessary and after considering the age, the dosage will be determined.
• Some severe depression cases might require hospitalization in a psychiatric unit.
• Antidepressant medication like Prozac is approved for patients in the age between 8 -18.
• The cognitive behavioral therapy treatment will recognize the negative patterns in the teenager’s mental state and change them positively. Cognitive behavioral therapy under a therapist will take some time to gain results, but it’s effective.
• Some patients are recommended a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and medications, according to the mental health of the patient. Some studies have shown that combination treatment of psychotherapy and medication has worked twice as effective than used alone.

Depression is most common in the age range of 15-30, but a family history of mental health issues can lead to early depression in teens. Parents should take effective strategies to deal with teen depression, and if needed, consult a therapist for better ways to handle a teenager. Often issues in family and school leads to depression in teens, just hearing out their concerns can bring a lot of solace to teens in general. Communication is the best way to ease teen depression, so try to keep a check on problems your teen is facing and get them medical help when required.