Depression can affect anyone at any age, from infants to senior citizens and everyone in between. Adolescence is a time when there is added risk for developing depression because of the physiological changes that are happening in the brains and bodies of teens.
It is especially important to know the signs of depression in adolescents because they are also at high risk for attempting suicide. In fact, South Indian teens have the highest suicide rates in the entire world. This calls attention to the fact that South Asian parents should be well aware of the symptoms of depression in their teens.
Signs and Symptoms of Depression in Teenagers
1. Increased physical ailments or illnesses. South Asians of all ages are more likely to express depression through their body than through their emotions. Any sudden increase in headaches, backaches, recurring colds or the flu should all be taken seriously.
2. Increased behavior problems. Teens are notorious for having mood swings. However, normal mood swings do not involve increased hostility or aggression. If your teen is getting into verbal or physical fights or is behaving defiantly and that is out of character, it could be a sign that they are depressed.
3. Sleep and appetite changes. The stereotype of teenagers is that they sleep a lot and eat a lot. To some extent this is true because the extra sleep and caloric intake is necessary to keep up with their changing bodies. However, if they regularly sleep more than 9 hours or are eating when they don’t seem hungry, that could point to signs of depression. Similarly, if they are having trouble sleeping consistently and seem to have lost interest in eating, those can be signs as well.
4. Changes in academic performance. When a teen is depressed, it becomes very difficult to focus and have motivation to work hard. This can come off as if the teen is being lazy when in fact the brain has trouble focusing attention when the person is experiencing a depressive episode. Sudden changes in the teen’s grades can indicate depression. It is important to note that some South Asian teens are still able to maintain high grades in school while still being depressed.
5. Apathy. This is a hallmark feature of typical teenage mood swings. However, mood swings are just that – transient. If your teenager is more often than not apathetic, not motivated or not enjoying activities that they used to enjoy, this could be a sign for depression.
Risk factors for Teenage Depression
1. Academic pressure. The more pressure a teen feels to perform at a certain level, the more difficult it will be for them to reach those standards. When they don’t, they may internalize this as an inherent flaw as opposed to something that they can change. This is how negative thoughts form that perpetuate depressive cycles.
2. Family history of depression. Depression is one of the many emotional health issues that has a genetic contribution. If a parent or sibling has been depressed in the past, it increases the risk that the teen will develop depression as well.
3. Increased stress. Stress in general is a risk factor for depression. This stress can take any form: stress from peers and fitting into a social group, from academics, extracurricular activities, applying to college, etc. This stress can also include family conflict, death of a loved one or discord in the parents’ marriage.
4. Chronic illness. The teenage years are a time when there is a belief that everything is still possible. When those dreams are negatively affected by a chronic illness, such as a back injury or fibromyalgia, this can set the stage for developing depression.
5. Abuse or neglect. Most abuse towards children and teens occurs at the hands of someone that they know well and not at the hands of a stranger. Experiencing physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect has long lasting effects on the teen including becoming depressed.
6. Teen dating violence. South Asian teens who date rarely have the support of their parents and resort to hiding their relationship. When the relationship becomes violent, the teen’s self-esteem begins to plummet and not have any resources on how to protect themselves since they cannot approach their parents. This double risk factor has significant impacts on developing depression.
While teens are generally more articulate than children, it can still be very difficult for them to identify their emotions and express how they are feeling. Thus, even if teens have an open relationship with their parents, it is possible they do not know how to explain that they are feeling depressed. Parents should educate themselves on the symptoms of teen depression to help identify early signs.
Depression is not just feeling sad and is also not a phase that the teen will get past. It is a real and serious emotional health issue that affects the physical and emotional development of teens. Since the teenage years are a crucial time for development, treating depression as soon as the signs present themselves can improve the teen’s quality of life even as an adult.