Teen Depression | Introduction
Everyone feels depressed at times. Illness, the loss of a family member, the breakup of a relationship— these misfortunes and many more are natural causes of sadness and mourning. It is normal to feel depressed about a loss or failure. However, for many people, that feeling of despondency continues for months, years, or, if left untreated, even a lifetime. For such people, depression is a serious illness.
Depression is the most common psychological problem in the country, afflicting more than 17 million Americans and more than 100 million people worldwide each year. It is estimated to affect about 25 percent of women and 10 percent of men during their lives, and 5 percent of people during adolescence. It has been increasing in recent decades and appears to be starting earlier in life.
Since the numbers for young people are lower than those for adults, teen depression is often overlooked or misdiagnosed. Its symptoms often differ, too, so many depressed teens are dismissed as simply being “difficult” or “delinquent.”Yet it is a serious problem, particularly when one considers the high rate of depression-related suicide among teenagers.
Because its symptoms are varied and often subtle, depression at any age can be hard to identify. Many people— particularly teens, who are undergoing so many changes that affect mood and behavior—are unaware that they are depressed. Even when they seek treatment, it is often for the physical symptoms, such as sleeplessness or fatigue, rather than the underlying cause.
The causes of depression can be just as varied and uncertain. In the past, it was widely believed that unexpressed feelings—particularly anger—were at the root of depression, and many psychiatrists still accept this theory. However, recent research points to an imbalance in the chemicals that regulate mood in the brain. Heredity, or the passing along of physical characteristics through generations, also appears to play a role, as mood disorders frequently run in families. Experts continue to disagree on whether genetic or environmental factors contribute more to the development of depression.
This controversy spills over into treatment. While traditional psychiatrists still favor psychoanalysis—the investigation of the unconscious mind through remembering the past—for depressed patients, a broad range of drugs that fight depression are now available. At the same time, many alternative therapies, including biofeedback, meditation, and the use of herbs, are being used to regulate mood, along with diet and exercise. Effective treatment may include any combination of these methods.
What is certain is that depression must be treated before it seriously disrupts the lives of the people it afflicts. Depressed teens often fail in school, become isolated from family and friends, and may fall into drug or alcohol abuse. Teenage boys may turn their depression into anger directed against society and get involved in dangerous or violent behavior. Teenage girls who suffer from depression may develop anorexia nervosa, a life-threatening eating disorder. And suicide, often resulting from depression, is the cause of one-third of all adolescent deaths.
Depressed people of all ages tend to become socially isolated. This worsens their symptoms and makes it harder for them to get help. They tend to have small social networks and few people they can depend on for support. They often act in ways that keep other people at a distance.
The issues discussed in this book include the types of depression one can experience, how the illness is diagnosed, its possible causes, and the continuing controversy over treatment. Its particular effects on young people are examined, along with the treatments that seem to work best for teens. Intriguing new findings promise to shed new light on a disease that has kept so many teens living in the dark. Teen Depression FRONT 3/1/04 1:22 PM Page 8
