The Causes And Effects Of Depression

A dysregulation of brain function that controls emotions is called depression ("Depression"). Depression affects teeangers in many ways. This disorder is characterized by negative emotions that are very intense and last a long time. This can cause social, educational, personal, and family issues (Krans). At any given time, 15% of children and adolescents show symptoms of depression (Krans).

One of the first recognizable symptoms of depression is withdrawl, and other differences in their attitude, such as showing signs of sadness or irritability, and teens appetite, energy, sleep patterns, and academic performance might change (Steingard). When it is suspected that someone might have depression, they must meet the criteria described in the

School can also be affected in many ways when teens have depression. It can make it harder to concentrate, cause them to have poor attendance, and increase the trouble they cause with the school faculty (Butler). Another effect of depression is anxiety. Depression oftentimes leads to anxiety, but anxiety is more common to occur in a child on its own, without depression. Anxiety is, for the most part, normal when the body knows there is danger. This can become an issue when it evolves into such a problem that the person suffering cannot function because they are too scared to do anything (Steingard). Not only are depression and anxiety bad enough, but there are side effects of both disorders that can also affect the teenager. These side effects can include low energy, poor concentration, and withdrawal, and these cause issues with academic and social function (Steingard). Because there are so many effects of depression, treatment is extremely

Once the teenager has had depression for a long period of time, they develop coping mechanisms that will more damage than helping them. Some of these coping mechanisms may include doing activities that the teenager decides they are comfortable with or creating bonds with teachers and friends they are 100% comfortable with. After this has gone on for a long time, depression becomes harder to treat (Steingard). One type of treatment that can be used is cognitive behavioral therapy (Steingard). Most teens with depression think of everything in a negative way, and usually in the most negative way possible. When using cognitive behavioral therapy, the therapist teaches the child to think outside of those negative thoughts (Steingard). Sometimes, depending on the level of depression, a medication called an antidepressant can be used to combat the effects of depression. Usually, they are taken while going to therapy (Steingard). Use of cognitive behavior therapy and a certain form of medication can help children and teens with depression (Bilsker, Gilbert, and Samra). The most commonly prescribed antidepressant are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. (These are also known as SSRIs.) This medication tends to have fewer side side effects than others, so they are a preferred treatment (Krans). SSRIs affect the neurotransmitter called serotonin by preventing the body from absorbing it so that is can be used more effectively