Depression And Teenage Depression

Depression among adolescents has slowly started to become an epidemic in the United States. Studies show that one in eight American teenagers will experience any form of depression. That 's estimated at about 15-20% of the teen population. Looking at adults, only 5-10% experience any form of depression in their adult lives (¨Depression and Mood¨). Depression comes in an abundance of shapes and forms. There’s about seven different variations of depression people can suffer from, each varying in severity. Depression in teenagers looks very different than how you would see an adult suffering (¨How¨). Teenagers are more susceptible to mental illnesses compared to adults for many reasons. One of the biggest causes of depression is a child 's homelife. Teens who grow up in nonfunctioning households, or currently live in hard situations can help contribute to depression. Depression can also be genetic, a person could have been born with a gene that makes them more open …show more content…
Theres key signals you should pay attention for when you notice your friends or family start to act sad or down. The signs include but are not limited to: talking about suicide or death excessively, express feelings of guilt or worthlessness, lack energy or interest in daily activities, or lack of sleep (¨Depression and Mood¨). If you notice any of these signs you need to let an adult know immediately, because depression is a serious mental illness that needs to be seen as important. The key difference between a teens reaction compared to an adults is that teens become more volatile, as well as the suicidal rates (¨How¨). Adults tend to be more sad and down, but adolescents are more angry and hostile. Mixing hormones with stress is never a good concoction. This increases suicidal thoughts in teens. Being able to identify if theres a problem with someone in your life, or even in yourself moves you one step closer towards