Psychology Adolescent Depression Essay, Research Paper

The Under Acknowledged

Disease Depression is a disease that afflicts the human psyche in

such a way that the afflicted tends to act and react abnormally

toward others and themselves. Therefore it comes to no surprise to

discover that adolescent depression is strongly linked to teen

suicide. Adolescent suicide is now responsible for more deaths in

youths aged 15 to 19 than cardiovascular disease or cancer

(Blackman, 1995). Despite this increased suicide rate, depression in

this age group is greatly underdiagnosed and leads to serious

difficulties in school, work and personal adjustment which may often

continue into adulthood. How prevalent are mood disorders in

children and when should an adolescent with changes in mood be

considered clinically depressed? Brown (1996) has said the reason

why depression is often over looked in children and adolescents is

because “children are not always able to express how they feel.”

Sometimes the symptoms of mood disorders take on different forms

in children than in adults. Adolescence is a time of emotional turmoil,

mood swings, gloomy thoughts, and heightened sensitivity. It is a

time of rebellion and experimentation. Blackman (1996) observed

that the “challenge is to identify depressive symptomatology which

may be superimposed on the backdrop of a more transient, but

expected, developmental storm.” Therefore, diagnosis should not

lay only in the physician’s hands but be associated with parents,

teachers and anyone who interacts with the patient on a daily basis.

Unlike adult depression, symptoms of youth depression are often

masked. Instead of expressing sadness, teenagers may express

boredom and irritability, or may choose to engage in risky behaviors

(Oster & Montgomery, 1996). Mood disorders are often

accompanied by other psychological problems such as anxiety

(Oster & Montgomery, 1996), eating disorders (Lasko et al.,

1996), hyperactivity (Blackman, 1995), substance abuse

(Blackman, 1995; Brown, 1996; Lasko et al., 1996) and suicide

(Blackman, 1995; Brown, 1996; Lasko et al., 1996; Oster &

Montgomery, 1996) all of which can hide depressive symptoms.

The signs of clinical depression include marked changes in mood

and associated behaviors that range from sadness, withdrawal, and

decreased energy to intense feelings of hopelessness and suicidal

thoughts. Depression is often described as an exaggeration of the

duration and intensity of “normal” mood changes (Brown 1996).

Key indicators of adolescent depression include a drastic change in

eating and sleeping patterns, significant loss of interest in previous

activity interests (Blackman, 1995; Oster & Montgomery, 1996),

constant boredom (Blackman, 1995), disruptive behavior, peer

problems, increased irritability and aggression (Brown, 1996).

Blackman (1995) proposed that “formal psychologic testing may be

helpful in complicated presentations that do not lend themselves

easily to diagnosis.” For many teens, symptoms of depression are

directly related to low self esteem stemming from increased

emphasis on peer popularity. For other teens, depression arises

from poor family relations which could include decreased family

support and perceived rejection by parents (Lasko et al., 1996).

Oster & Montgomery (1996) stated that “when parents are

struggling over marital or career problems, or are ill themselves,

teens may feel the tension and try to distract their parents.” This

“distraction” could include increased disruptive behavior,

self-inflicted isolation and even verbal threats of suicide. So how can

the physician determine when a patient should be diagnosed as

depressed or suicidal? Brown (1996) suggested the best way to

diagnose is to “screen out the vulnerable groups of children and

adolescents for the risk factors of suicide and then refer them for

treatment.” Some of these “risk factors” include verbal signs of

suicide within the last three months, prior attempts at suicide,

indication of severe mood problems, or excessive alcohol and

substance abuse. Many physicians tend to think of depression as an

illness of adulthood. In fact, Brown (1996) stated that “it was only in

the 1980’s that mood disorders in children were included in the

category of diagnosed psychiatric illnesses.” In actuality, 7-14% of

children will experience an episode of major depression before the

age of 15. An average of 20-30% of adult bipolar patients report

having their first episode before the age of 20. In a sampling of

100,000 adolescents, two to three thousand will have mood

disorders out of which 8-10 will commit suicide (Brown, 1996).

Blackman (1995) remarked that the suicide rate for adolescents has

increased more than 200% over the last decade. Brown (1996)

added that an estimated 2,000 teenagers per year commit suicide in

the United States, making it the leading cause of death after

accidents and homicide. Blackman (1995) stated that it is not

uncommon for young people to be preoccupied with issues of

mortality and to contemplate the effect their death would have on

close family and friends. Once it has been determined that the

adolescent has the disease of depression, what can be done about

it? Blackman (1995) has suggested two main avenues to treatment:

“psychotherapy and medication.” The majority of the cases of

adolescent depression are mild and can be dealt with through

several psychotherapy sessions with intense listening, advice and

encouragement. Comorbidity is not unusual in teenagers, and

possible pathology, including anxiety, obsessive-compulsive

disorder, learning disability or attention deficit hyperactive disorder,

should be searched for and treated, if present (Blackman, 1995).

For the more severe cases of depression, especially those with

constant symptoms, medication may be necessary and without

pharmaceutical treatment, depressive conditions could escalate and

become fatal. Brown (1996) added that regardless of the type of

treatment chosen, “it is important for children suffering from mood

disorders to receive prompt treatment because early onset places

children at a greater risk for multiple episodes of depression

throughout their life span.” Until recently, adolescent depression has

been largely ignored by health professionals but now several means

of diagnosis and treatment exist. Although most teenagers can

successfully climb the mountain of emotional and psychological

obstacles that lie in their paths, there are some who find themselves

overwhelmed and full of stress. How can parents and friends help

out these troubled teens? And what can these teens do about their

constant and intense sad moods? With the help of teachers, school

counselors, mental health professionals, parents, and other caring

adults, the severity of a teen’s depression can not only be accurately

evaluated, but plans can be made to improve his or her well-being

and ability to fully engage life. References Blackman, M. (1995,

May). You asked about… adolescent depression. The Canadian

Journal of CME [Internet]. Available HTTP:

http://www.mentalhealth.com/mag1/p51-dp01.html. Brown, A.

(1996, Winter). Mood disorders in children and adolescents.

NARSAD Research Newsletter [Internet]. Available HTTP:

http://www.mhsource.com/advocacy/narsad/childmood.html.

Lasko, D.S., et al. (1996). Adolescent depressed mood and

parental unhappiness. Adolescence, 31 (121), 49-57. Oster, G. D.,

& Montgomery, S. S. (1996). Moody or depressed: The masks of

teenage depression. Self Help & Psychology [Internet]. Available

HTTP:

http://www.cybertowers.com/selfhelp/articles/cf/moodepre.html.