Teen Depression and Anxiety Disorders
As the rate of depression amongst teenagers increases, so does the rate of suicide for the 15-24 age group. It is responsible for about 10% of suicides and the third largest cause. Depression is felt by everyone so now and then when life deals a hard blow, but it is defined as an illness when these feelings interfere with normal day to day functioning. In America alone, 2% of preteens and 5% of adolescents suffer from depression.
There are two main causes of depression. The first is where there is unresolved grief in situations involving death, relationship break-ups, a feeling of abandonment or a traumatic event. The second cause results from a feeling of emotional detachment due to a lack of connection with others.
Because adolescence is already a turbulent time of mood swings and unpredictable behavior, teenage depression is difficult to spot. This is one of the reasons why only 20% of teens suffering from depression get the treatment they need. Of the teens diagnosed with depression, about two thirds of them were found to already have an existing problem such as anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder or antisocial disorder. It has also been found that genetics plays a part in determining who suffers from the condition; though it is not a defining cause in that even teenagers with no family history of depression can still suffer from it.
In one study, it was found that adolescents who went to bed at 10p.m. at the latest and had an average of 8-9 hours of sleep were less likely to suffer from depression than those who went to bed at midnight and averaged 5 -6 hours of sleep.
Adolescent anxiety disorder can co-exist with depression and while they may seem similar conditions, they are not. A recent study reported in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry concluded that the two disorders are separate and should be treated as such. Furthermore, where the two conditions co-exist, symptoms have found to be more severe.
However, both conditions respond well to treatment. A growing number of researchers are supporting behavior therapies for adolescents rather than the use of medications. These may be individual talk therapies or group therapies which involve other depressed teens or may be family oriented. The focus in each case is changing the mindset that leads to negative feelings and behaviors.
