Caitie Velat

Professor Fierro
HD 320
8/13/15
Module 7:Paper
Depression is on the rise in young adults and teenagers. It is also not unheard of
for boys to be diagnosed with depression. If it is not caught early enough then it could
also lead to suicide and other things.
If one does hear of thoughts or even plans to commit murder of any kind then, it
should always be taken seriously, and never just assume that the child may be bluffing it.
If we do not take it seriously then there could be a whole lot of deaths, compared to how
many lives could have been saved had they just taken the teen seriously or even noticed
some of the early warning signs.
When one has depression typically they are: frustrated, sad, and irritable to name
some of the few symptoms. Although when a teen has depression they can be made to
feel even worse.
What is Depression? Depression according to: Depression and Mood disorders is
the following: a feeling of sadness, discouraged, and hopelessness. You might feel
exhausted all the time and have difficulty thinking clearly or quickly. (Depression and
Mood Disorders, Levin, Judith, pg.4) When a person has felt these symptoms for at least
two weeks then one will be diagnosed with depression. Some of the symptoms of
depression are the following: sadness (all of the time), tired (trouble sleeping at night or
sleep excessively), lack of motivation, anti-social behavior, loss of appetite (overeating),
strange aches and pains, hopeless, helpless, worthless, alone, and withdrawn.

(Depression and Mood Disorders, Levin, Judith, pg.8) Not all of these symptoms will
appear in the teenager necessarily.
Some of the causes of teenage depression are the following: are the following:
death of a loved one, divorce of parents, conflicts or violence at home, physical illness,
disability, the end of a close friendship, challenges in school, pressure to succeed, and
peer pressure. (Depression and Mood Disorders, Levin, Judith, pgs. 20-22) There are
some things that make teenage depression different they are the following: changes in
sleep patterns, struggles among peer groups, and also getting into trouble and acting out
for teens is a way of them attracting attention to themselves. (Depression and Mood
Disorders, Levin, Judith, pg. 21) These are just a few of the ways that makes teenage
depression different. If a teenager goes from getting enough sleep to not getting enough
sleep then this could be a cause for teenage depression, also if a teenager finds that they
are starting to struggle with their peer groups like maybe they had a lot of friends at one
time, and then the next year or two they do not have as many if any friends.
Some of the causes of depression in children and adolescents according to
Depression the Facts are: if either of a childs parents is or has been depressed, then the
childs risk of depression increases almost four times, other things are: loss of a parent,
other relative or some particularly loved person, disappointments, and traumatic life
events. (Depression the Facts, Wasserman, Danuta, Chapter 4, pgs. 49-50)
Some of the causes of depression in children and adolescents according to
Depression the Facts are: if either of a childs parents is or has been depressed, then the
childs risk of depression increases almost four times, other things are: loss of a parent,

other relative or some particularly loved person, disappointments, and traumatic life
events. (Depression the Facts, Wasserman, Danuta, Chapter 4, pgs. 49-50)
Some of the symptoms of teenage depression are: long-term boredom,
restlessness or agitation, cutting classes, considerable appetite or weight changes, drug or
alcohol abuse, taking unnecessary risks, sexual misconduct, poor performance in school,
athletics, etc., loss of friends, isolating themselves from others, headaches or other
physical complaints, talk of suicide, ceasing to take showers and take care of physical
appearance, and also hallucinations or unusual beliefs. (Depression and Mood
Disorders, Levin, Judith, pg.29) These are just some of the signs that teenagers might
show when they are starting to go through teenage depression. If a teenager shows any of
these signs, then you should take the teenager seriously, and not just assume that it will
pass with them.
According, to Depression the Facts some of the common symptoms of depression
in children and adolescents are: irritability, loss of joy, pleasure and initiative, appetite
disorders, sleep disturbances, tiredness lack of energy, change in motor activity, low selfesteem, and sense of guilt, concentration difficulties, pain, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and
attempted suicide. (Depression the Facts, Wasserman, Danuta, Chapter4, pgs.45-48)
An example of why sleep disturbances brings out depression is that in adults
they become insomniac; whereas, in adolescents they have somewhat different problems
than adults. (Depression the Facts, Wasserman, Danuta, Chapter 4, pg.46) It is about 6070% of all teenagers that have had experienced suicide during at sometime throughout
their depression.

An example of a traumatic life event or two is: bullying and also sexual
exploitation. Although the parents substance abuse or even lasting mental or physical
illness, relationship problems are all examples of other negative life events. (Depression
the Facts, Wasserman, Danuta, Chapter 4, pg.50) If a parent uses any kind of substances
or even has some kind mental or physical illness then it can have a negative effect on the
child, because the child might get teased or even bullied at school for the kind of parent
that they have.
According to, Depression Care across the Lifespan by Lynne Walsh, chapter nine,
Ethnicity is classified in census data where individuals identify with a particular ethnic
group. However, the Kings Fund (2006) recognized that by grouping people together in
categories that cultural and ethnic backgrounds were not always captured accurately in
the data. Cultural differences such as different religions may not always be recognized
due to people being associated with a label from a particular ethnic grouping.
(Depression Care Across the Lifespan, Walsh, Lynne, Chapter 9, pg.172) To me what this
quote is saying is that a group of people in a group of categories, instead of individuals.
Also, the differences of a culture had been seen as a persons religion for example.
Another thing that I found out was that people from different cultures may
present with different symptoms of depression. Thus, it is very important to ensure that
appropriate assessments are undertaken in these groups of people when assessing for
depression. (Depression Care Across the Lifespan, Walsh, Lynne, Chapter 9, pg.173) If a
person especially a teenager comes from a different culture, then another teenager, then
they may both show different symptoms of depression. For example, if one teenager
came from China and another was from the United States, then they would have different

symptoms. It has been shown that there was little rates of depression in both Black and
White older people. (Depression Care Across the Lifespan, Walsh, Lynne, chapter9,
pg.174) Not many people have been diagnosed with teenage depression who are both
Black and also the older White; although, it has been shown that the following people are
more likely to be diagnosed with teenage depression: poor physical ill health, poor
understanding of the English language, and poor education. (Depression Care Across the
Lifespan, Walsh, Lynne, pg.174) If a teenager has any of these symptoms then it can be
especially hard for them in school and then they are more likely to develop teenage
depression.
Also, people with learning disabilities are also more likely to develop teenage
depression. Some of the signs of depression in a person with a learning disability are the
following: sudden or gradual changes in usual behavior, loss of skills, loss of ability to
communicate, physical illness, outbursts of anger, destructiveness or self-harm, seeking
reassurance, and also loss of bowel or bladder control. (Depression Care Across the
Lifespan, Walsh, Lynne, Chapter 9, pg.179)
According to Depression Care across the Lifespan by Lynne Walsh in chapter nine
it says that: people with learning disabilities may not always have the voice to vocalize
their specific needs and it is evident that the law may need to be used to ensure that the
needs of ethnic minorities with learning disabilities are met. (Depression Care Across
the Lifespan, Walsh, Lynne, Chapter 9, pg.180) To me what this quote is saying is that
people who have a learning disability are not always able to tell people what it is what
they want, and so it is clear by the law that they will need to keep the needs of the ethnic
minorities with learning disabilities.

While, some people with learning disabilities experience low self-esteem

resulting in them may underestimating their own ability and experiencing this negative
perceptions. (Depression Care Across the Lifespan, Walsh, Lynne, Chapter 9, pg.180)
TO me it is interesting how a person with a learning disability can experience low selfesteem, while others with a learning disability do not.
In an article, entitled Screen teens for depression-its quicker than you think, it
says that: Estimates of the prevalence of adolescent depression range from three percent
to nine percent, and nearly twenty percent of teens will experience a depressive disorder
before the age of twenty. But less than half of depressed adolescents are diagnosed or
treated. (Pereira,S.L., Egan, M., & Stevermer, J.J. (2010). Screen teens for depressionits quicker than you think. The Journal of Family Practice, 59(11), pg. 643)
This quote is saying that more teens will experience at least one depressive
disorder, before the age of twenty; although, almost half of them will go undected in their
teenage years though. Another thing is that: Teens with depressive disorders are at
elevated risk, not only for poor family and social relationships and difficulties at school,
but also for early pregnancy, substance abuse, hospitalization, recurrent episodes of
depression, and suicide. (Pereira, S.L., Egan, M., & Stevermer, J.J. (2010). Screen teens
for depression-its quicker than you think. The Journal of Family Practice, 59(11),
pg.643)
To me if a teenager already has a depressive disorder, then they could be at risk
for some of the following things: pregnancy, this is where it could be slightly higher
depending on your race and ethnicity for a teenage girl; although, boys have a risk factor
of substance abuse, another risk factor is hospitalization, and recurrent episodes of

depression, and then finally the last one is suicide, this is higher for boys when they use
guns, while the girls will usually do it by overdosing on pills.
There could be a simple two question screen that the teenager would have to
answer and that is the following: How often in the past two weeks have they had, 1.) a
depressed mood, and/or, 2.)a lack of pleasure in usual activities. Each question is scored
from 0 to 3, with 0 not at all, and 3-nearly every day. (Pereira, S.L., Egan,M., &
Stevermer, J.J. (2010). Screen tests for depression-its quicker than you think. The
Journal of Family Practice, 59(11), pg.643)
To me if a teenager scores a three on both of these questions, then they should get
the help that they need even if they do not want to get it. So, by using this kind of test it
will help to distinguish the teens that are depressed, rather than perhaps just a little bit of
sad.
The Four main types of clinical depression are the following: major depressive
disorder (Also called major depression), dysthymic disorder (also called dysthymia or
mild depression), double depression, and bipolar disorder( also called manic
depression). (My Kind Of Sad, Scowen, Kate, Chapter 3, pg.55) In teenagers it has been
found that they can have all four of these conditions, although dysthymia or major
depressive depression are the most common ones.
While it has been found that both girls and boys do suffer from depression they
suffer from it in different ways. For instance, boys will tend to use substances, have more
problems with violence and aggression, and also commit suicide, usually by guns, while
the girls are probably more likely to commit suicide by using an overdose on pills.

It has been shown that early intervention can be helpful for those teenagers that
are depressed. Some of the kinds of treatment that teenagers are looking for are: someone
to truly listen and reflect (What teens want: Barriers to seeking care for depression,
Wisdom, Jennifer P; Clarke, Gregory, N; Green, Carla, A., Administration and Policy in
Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 33.2(March 2006), pg.139) to them.
Some different types of treatment options that are available for teenagers are:
counseling, electroconvulsive therapy (ect) and medications to name a few. (My Kind
of Sad, Scowen, Kate, Chapter 10, pgs.122 &127-128) Electroconvulsive therapy is a
type of therapy, where the doctors will implant a device that is similar to a heart pace
maker just above the chest area with the wires going to the brain. This type of therapy is
used only when the other therapies are not effective.
According to, Scientific American in an article entitled Electrical Stimulation
Eases Depression some patients have seen their symptoms completely disappear but
responses varied, and everyone has been helped. (Electrical Stimulation Eases
Depression, Lozano, Andres M.; Mayberg, Helen S., pg.73) To me if a teenager has tried
everything, and nothing else has helped then they should consider the electrical
stimulation device, as it might help them with their depression greatly.
The following are the different types of treatment available the first one is the
anti-depressants. There is a risk of self-harm and suicide while taking anti-depressants.
(Depression Care Across the Lifespan, Walsh, Lynne, Chapter 8, pg.148) It is interesting
that anti-depressants were generally effective when used to treat depression in adults;
however, in children the drugs were not very effective. (Depression Care Across the

Lifespan, Walsh, Lynne, Chapter 8, pg.152) I had never fully realized that the antidepressant drugs were more likely to work in the adults, but not in the children though.
The second type is Psychological therapies; such as, interpersonal therapy
(which will focus on the relationships or counseling), CBT (which focuses on guided
self-help), and also problem-solving. (Depression Care Across the Lifespan, Walsh,
Lynne, Chapter 8, pg.152) In problem-solving therapy, this will work with the teenager in
order to help make their problems more manageable and will also help them to develop
ways to cope with problems the next time that it happens.
Another technique is counseling which will provide either a one-on-one basis or
even a group setting. Another technique is cognitive behavior therapy, this therapy is
one in which it will help people to show their negative thoughts and feelings.
(Depression Care Across the Lifespan, Walsh, Lynne, Chapter 8, pg.154) It was found
that in a large number of cases CBT was very effective in treating unipolar depression,
generalized anxiety disorders, panic attacks, social phobias, posttraumatic stress disorder
(ptsd), and depression and anxiety in children. (Depression Care Across the Lifespan,
Walsh, Lynne, Chapter 8, pg.154) I never realized that such a large number of teenagers
can be treated for their depression, just by using the cognitive behavioral therapy
approach.
According to, Depression and Treatment with Inner City Pregnant and Parenting
Teens it says: Rates of depression among pregnant adolescents have been found to be
between twenty-six and forty-four percent with the upper range among poor minorities
(Beardslee et al1988). (Shanok, A.F.,& Miller,L.(2007).Depression and treatment with
inner city pregnant and parenting teens. Archives Of Womens Health. 10(5), pg.199)

To me what this quote is saying is that if a teenager is a poor urban minority, then they
will have a higher chance of getting pregnant early on; while, the rest of the teenagers
will not have a great chance but they still do have a low chance of getting pregnant
though.
Also, one of the interventions that was used was psychotherapy for pregnant
adolescents, and it has been used for the following four goals: 1.) clarity of the
interpersonal transition to motherhood within the context of adolescence, 2.)
identification of social and material resources to sustain health and security during
pregnancy and as new mothers, 3.) establishment of social support from experienced
mothers and 4.) avoidance of violence and altering social networks that threaten prenatal
health or the health of the infant. (Shanok,A.F.,&Miller,L. (2007). Depression and
treatment with inner city pregnant and parenting teens. Archives of Womens Mental
Health, 10(5), pg.202)
To me what this quote is saying is that one of the best ways to help pregnant
teens, and adolescents is to use psychotherapy, by using this you are allowing the teen to
talk about all of their emotions that are on their mind. Also, it is helpful for the following
reasons: because if one does not have clarity in between the two stages motherhood and
adolescence then one will not know what it is that you want, and if you are trying to
convey something to an infant then it can be especially frustrating for the infant. Another
reason is to develop your health and also your sense of security throughout your
pregnancy as a new mother. If you do not do this then you may begin to have some
health problems of your own and then you will not feel so secure with everything in your
pregnancy. A third reason is to get to know other friends who have experienced

motherhood before so that you can talk about your problems and concerns with someone
who has been there before. Lastly, the teenager needs to avoid anything that has to do
with violence or can even endanger the health of the baby. If you do not avoid certain
things then when the child grows up they will have more of a chance of developing
teenage depression; because, of all the violence and/or other dangerous things that were
going on in the home at the time.
Another thing that I found interesting was: Poor treatment by others, usually
related to their youthful pregnancies, was a common explanation offered by all of the
clinicians for the participants anger and sadness. (Shanok,A.F.& Miller,L. (2007).
Depression and treatment with inner city pregnant and parenting teens. Archives of
Womens Mental Health, 10(5), pg.206)
To me what this quote is saying is that if a teenager receives not so good
treatment, then they are more likely to become pregnant in their teens. Whereas, if a
teenager receives good treatment then they are not as likely to become depressed and
pregnant.
According to Behavioral therapy for depression in teens it says that: Cognitive
behavioral therapy that teaches coping and problem-solving skills may effectively reduce
the incidence of depressive episodes in at-risk teens(i.e., those who have a parent with a
history of depression). (Behavioral Therapy for depression in Teens. (2009). Clinician
Reviews, 19(7), pg.21)
To me if a teenager has depression and the anti-depressant has not worked, and
they want to try this kind of behavior, then it will teach them not only problem-solving
skills; but also, how to cope with things in life in general. According to Depression the

mood disease, Suicide is the third leading cause of death in those under twenty-five;
almost one-quarter of all adolescent mortality is due to suicide, and two-thirds of all
suicides occur in the twenty- to twenty-four-year-old age group. (Depression The Mood
Disease, third edition, Mondi more, Francis, Mark, M.D., Chapter 5, pg.112)
I did not realize that suicide was at a high rate among the twenty to twenty-fouryear-olds. If someone would take the time to truly listen to them and maybe watch out for
some signs then maybe the suicide rate would not be so high. Another thing that I found
interesting was: People who are severely depressed are often so emotionally shut down
and so lacking in energy and initiative that they pose little risk of self-harm. It is only
when they begin to get to get slightly better that their feelings (still very depressed
feelings) begin to awaken and they have the energy to act on suicidal thoughts.
(Depression the mood disease, third edition, Mondi more, Francis, Mark, M.D., Chapter
5, pg. 113)
To me this quote is saying that at first when you give a teenager an anti-depressant
they will not have the urge to commit suicide because of the way that they are feeling, but
then in time they will want to commit suicide having more energy than previously felt
before.

Some of the risk factors for suicide are the following: depression, other mood
disorders, previous suicide attempts, eating disorders, substance use, and family history
of suicide, family conflict, poor peer relationships, and hearing about other suicides.
(My Kind OF Sad, Scowen, Kate, pgs.116-117) Some signs to look out for are the

following: being worthless, being a burden to others, and statements of suicidal

intentions. (My Kind Of Sad, Scowen, Kate pgs. 116-117)
It has been shown that after puberty the suicide rate for girls goes up to almost
12% by age eighteen. (Gender Differences in Adolescent Depression, Dyer, Janyce G.
PhD, CS, FNP; Wade, Ellin H MSN; PMHNP, Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and
Mental Health Services, 50.12 (Dec 2012), pg. 17) If a girl finishes puberty early, then
they will more chance than boys to commit suicide before the age of eighteen. It is also
interesting that by the age of fifteen adolescent girls are twice as likely as their male
counterparts to have experienced a major depressive episode; these well-documented and
cross cultural gender differences persist into adulthood with female preponderance and
anxious symptoms. (Gender Differences in Adolescent Depression, Dyer, Janyce G.,
PhD, CS, FNP, Wade, Ellin H, MSN, PMHNP, Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and
Mental Health Services, 50.12 (Dec.2012) pg.17) If a girl experiences some of the
symptoms that were mentioned previously, then they are more likely to have depression
at a younger age than boys are. It has been compared to boys that the depression rates
are the same for both boys and girls up to the age of fifteen. After the age of fifteen the
rates of depression are higher for girls than boys. (Gender Differences in Adolescent
Depression, Dyer, Janyce G. PhD, CS, FNP, Wade, Ellin H., MSN, PMHNP, Journal of
Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 50.12 (Dec. 2012) pg.19)
In Conclusion, when a teenager has been diagnosed with depression it is essential
for them to get the help that they need right away so that it does not get to be too bad that
they will want to commit suicide. An adult should be on the lookout for some of the signs
and symptoms of depression and also suicide so that they can get the help for the teenager

and also just be there to openly and willingly listen to them when you can. As this can
then prevent teen suicide, because they might not feel so alone and like no one does not
care about them.

References

1.) Walsh, L. (2009). Depression Care Across the Lifespan, Hoboken, NJ, USA:
Wiley. Retrived from http://www.ebrary.com
2.) Mondimore, F.,M., M.D. (2006). Depression The Mood Disease third edition,
Baltimore, MD, The Johns Hopkins University Press
3.) Wassermann, D. (2006). Depression the Facts, Oxford University Press Inc., NY
4.) Levin,J. (2009). Depression and mood disorders, New York, NY
5.) Scowen, K. (2006). My Kind of Sad, Annick Press, U.S.A.
6.) Lozano,A. M. & Mayberg, H.S. (2015). Scientific American
7.) Shanok, A.F., & Miller, L. (2007). Depression and treatment with inner city
pregnant and parenting teens. Archives Of Womens Mental Health, 10(5), 199210.
8.) Behavioral Therapy for Depression in Teens. (2009). Clinician Reviews, 19(7),
21.
9.) Pereira, S.L., Egan, M., & Stevermer, J.J. (2010). Screen teens for depression-its
quicker than you think. The Journal of Family Practice, 59(11), 643-644.
10.)

Dyer, Janyce G, PhD, CS, FNP; Wade, Ellin H, MSN, PMHNP. Journal of

Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services 50.12 (Dec 2012): 17-20
11.)

Wisdom, Jennifer P; Clarke, Gregory N; Green, Carla A. Administration

and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research 33.2 (Mar
2006): 133-45.