Depression in Adolescents: Common and Treatable

How common is depression in adolescents? Very common, but also treatable. This is Dr. Steven Andrew Davis, Speaking of Health. It seems that mood swings are exaggerated during adolescence, and those low periods in particular have been heavily studied. A study recently published in the journal Australian Family Physician reports that about half of all adolescents report depressive symptoms and 10% experience an episode of major depression. Rates of depression are higher among girls and more common as the teen gets older.

Adolescents may certainly look depressed or sad like adults do when they are depressed, but they are more likely to be irritable or sleep a whole lot when depressed. If their grades in school start to fall off – that’s a sign that they may be depressed, though these signs can also be symptoms of other problems, such as alcohol or drug abuse or behavioral disorders.

Realizing that depression is common during the adolescent years is a major step toward helping these youth. In most areas there are mental health professionals, ranging from social workers to family counselors; from psychologists to psychiatrists who are attuned to dealing with the special problems of adolescents and the depression they often feel. Some anti-depressant medications are particularly effective in adolescents. The overall outlook is good the, with about 80% of adolescents who are depressed overcoming their clinical depression within a year.

For a copy of this script and journal reference, visit our website: speaking of health.com. Speaking of Health, I’m Dr. Steven Andrew Davis, for CBS news.

Ref: American Family Physician, Volume 55, #3