The Elusive Face of Teen Depression

“My daughter seems angry most of the time,” I read in the email from a worried mom. “I often don’t know what has her angry, and if it weren’t for that I’d think she was great. She does well in school, she’s busy and successful in her many activities….I think she lives a charmed life! So why do I feel in my gut that something is wrong?”

Gut feeling and intuitive hunches count a lot when you are trying to assess your teenager’s behavior and understand it. This mom probably really is onto something, and it’s worth revisiting the important topic of depression in teenagers.

Depression isn’t always easy to spot or even diagnose in teenagers. This may surprise you, but depression in teens can present as anger or irritability, in addition to the more usual appearance of sadness. And mixed in with the common ups and downs of adolescent behavior, parents can find it too easy to write off problematic behavior as a passing phase. This can be dangerous.

It’s not always easy to determine which is the cause and which the effect, but depression is often linked with vulnerability to drug or alcohol abuse and other destructive behaviors such as self-injury and eating disorders. If a parent feels in your gut that something might be wrong, it is vitally important that you take action to help your teen seek assistance.

Families for Depression Awareness is a non-profit that provides help and support for the family members of those dealing with depression. In one case study on their site dealing with a 17 year old, they tell about his parents’ initial denial, and about his difficulty in putting into words how he was feeling. Kids facing depressive illness may be in the impossible position of being expected to describe how they feel…a task in which they are unlikely to be able to succeed. Families for Depression Awareness offers a free mood questionnaire you or your teen can take which can help you assess if professional advice should be sought.

The challenge of diagnosing depression is increased because the symptomatic behavior that can signal depression is the same list of behaviors most teens are likely to exhibit at one time or another.
Symptoms of teenage depression include:

• depressed or irritable mood
• decreased interest or pleasure in activities
• change in appetite or weight
• sleeping more or less than usual
• fatigue or loss of energy
• feelings of guilt or worthlessness
• decreased concentration
• substance abuse
• recurrent thoughts of death or suicide

Your intuition about your teen’s overall mental health will inform your initial assessment. A parent may pick up a sense from your teen about a fundamental change or shift that doesn’t feel right, or you may see worrisome behaviors such as those in the list above that last more than two weeks….two weeks is the guideline the professionals use beyond which you begin to take action. Another assessment guide for a parent is to compare your teen’s current behavior to her past behavior and make note of the duration, intensity and frequency of the behavior. Obviously an increase in any or all of these will be cause to take some action.

Teens who appear angry, irritable and different from the child you used to know, may indeed be dealing with depressive illness. Depression can take a toll on a teen -even one who continues to bring in good grades and participate successfully in outside activities. So, listen closely and tune in to your teen. If you have reason to be concerned, gather input from others who interact with your teen on a regular basis, and don’t hesitate to call a a school psychologist, guidance counselor, physician or therapist if you have any reason to wonder.