Every one in this room has a relationship with a teenager one way or another.

Whether
you are their parent, their teacher, or are a teeanger yourself. Teen depression is a serious issue in
the 21st century, and not only does it affect those with depression, it also affects those who have
relationships with the teen who has depression.

By a show of hands who is here is effected by or knows someone who is affected by

depression. As you can see by the show of hands depression is a growing problem that affects
many people.

Depression in teens is a notable issue today. Depression may lead to detrimental effects
such as other mental health concerns, negative impacts on the adolescents social life, and
substance abuse. Depression may sometimes go undiagnosed due to the embarrassment of asking
for help and the role of gender bias.

Picture a row of dominos, once one gets knocked down the rest are quick to follow.
Similar to a domino effect, depression in teens leads to a variety of negative events.

As you can see behind me, adolescent depression may lead to other mental disorders such
as anxiety, eating disorders and suicide. I recently had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Goodwin,
a Clinical psychologist who specializes in mood disorders, anxiety, behavioral issues, and social
challenges. According to Dr. Goodwin, depression and other mental health issues typically come
hand in hand. Depression and anxiety typically co-occur. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see
symptoms of anxiety and depression. An individual who experiences an extended period of
anxiety is at risk for developing depression.

Another health concern that accompanies adolescent depression is the development of an

eating disorder. Often times, teens with depression will also have poor self esteem. If a teenager
views herself as fat or ugly she may begin to eat very little as an attempt to lose weight.
Also, adolescents may turn to food as a coping method and will eat their feelings Later, we
will hear a more in depth depiction of how social media and the stress that adolescents
experience can lead to poor self esteem in adolescents and what that ultimately leads to.
When asked What are the two main components of a teeagers life? Many will
answer social life and education. Social life and education are two prominent aspects of
adolescents lives. However, depression may negatively affect these. Over time, adolescents
will become withdrawn from peers.

As reported by James McCracken of the University of California, Los Angeles

Neuropsychiatrie Institute, it is common for adolescents to want more independence and
freedom and become slightly withdrawn from their family. But if they begin to continuously
become withdrawn from their peers, thats when you know to become concerned. In fact, Dr.
Goodwin confirms that social withdrawal is a symptom of depression. Individuals then are

likely to have irrational thoughts that no one likes them, due to others perceiving them as not
being interested in interacting. This then leads to further withdrawal and low self-esteem.
As discussed prior by a previous group, substance abuse is common among teenagers.
Often times they will turn to drugs and alcohol as a coping method. Because the effects of
depression can sometime be unbearable, teenagers need an escape from reality and will use
drugs and alcohol to do so.

The final effect of teen depression is suicide. Suicide is by far, the worst outcome of teen
depression. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the third
leading cause of death among American youth ages 1014 and ages 1524. As stated by Linda
Pirruccello, an assistant professor of nursing at California State University, stress from school
and a sense of hopelessness often lead teenagers to feel suicide if their only option.

As if the effects of teen depression werent bad enough, if teen depression goes
undiagnosed, they may worsen. Teen depression may go undiagnosed for several reasons.
Adolescents may feel embarrassed or ashamed for receiving help. Also, males may receive less
help than females because they are affected differently and because of societys stereotypes.

As Dr. Goodwin stated, females exhibit depression differently than males. Females will
exhibit sadness, appetite changes, crying spells, and social withdrawal. This is more visible to
others, leading to treatment being sought, whereas males will exhibit more externalizing
behaviors when depressed. Therefore, they are more likely to be diagnosed with behavioral
disorders than a mood disorder.

According to Teena McGuinness, a professor at the University of Alabama School of

Nursing, rates of depressive symptoms are comparable for boys and girls until puberty; by age 15
girls have twice the rate of depression as compared with boys. For adolescent girls, the increase
in social challenges represented by school, activities, and efforts to cope with male attention
interact with cognitive and interpersonal vulnerabilities to produce a wide range of depressive
symptoms. This coincides with Dr. Goodwins previous statement regarding females showing
more symptoms than males.

Because girls exhibit more noticeable symptoms of depression, they are more likely to
receive treatment. Results from a study conducted on rural school-based adolescents indicate that
girls feel that they have higher levels of social support from friends than boys did. If boys feel as
though they do not have support from friends or family their depression may go untreated, and as
mentioned before, the effects may worsen.

According to the dictionary, depression is feelings of severe despondency and dejection.

According to society, depression is a cry for attention. Too often teen depression is overlooked
and seen as feeling Blue and just a phase. Because people in todays society overlook and

ignore teen depression, the effects are often times unbearable. Teen depression affects a
significant amount of people. It is a growing problem for which a solution must be found.