Effects of Depression on Adolescents and Support During the Adolescence Period
Adolescence is a period of rapid and intense changes in young individuals, accompanied by hormonal changes as they search for their own identities. Consequently, increased questioning about life is observed during adolescence. Adolescents often experience feelings of unhappiness, loneliness, and helplessness during this period. Serious problems in controlling their anger are also noted. Sleep and appetite problems may accompany these rapid mood changes. They may prefer to be alone most of the time and have significantly low energy levels throughout the day. Due to the low energy levels, these young individuals may often not want to do anything during the day. Additionally, concentrating on a task for an extended period can be challenging. These situations in adolescents can indicate the presence of depression symptoms. In addition to depression symptoms, negative body image, low self-esteem, thoughts of self-harm, and suicidal ideation may also be present. They can often dwell excessively on past events and actions, or inactions.
Depression in adolescents can lead to personal problems and negatively impact their relationships. They often distance themselves from family and friendships. Academic performance at school may suffer. They may display overly sensitive behavior to comments made by others, feeling guilty about these remarks. Thoughts of not belonging to a group in relationships can coexist with fears of rejection and abandonment. Within their relationships, they may question their own values and perceive themselves as worthless.
The rate of depression in adolescents is reported to be 4.7% (Kashani, Carlson, and Beck, 1987). The frequency of depression does not differ in terms of age, gender, or economic level among adolescents. Both genetic and environmental factors play a role in the causes of depression in adolescents. The occurrence of depression in the parents of adolescents can increase the likelihood of its occurrence in the adolescents themselves. Additionally, experiences of neglect and abuse during childhood, negative parenting attitudes, exposure to peer bullying, grief processes, and medical problems can increase the risk of depression. Furthermore, adolescents with depression may also experience a decrease in serotonin levels in their brains.
Given all these symptoms and causes, early intervention during adolescence is crucial. Without early intervention, adolescents may face similar problems in adulthood. Intervening during adolescence is important to prevent the impact of these issues on individuals’ later lives. If depression symptoms are present during adolescence, professional support should not be neglected. Whether the symptoms shown by adolescents are due to normal emotional changes in adolescence or depression should be determined with professional help. The most important determining factor here is the frequency and duration of the symptoms shown by adolescents. Many adolescents may feel depressed at some point in their lives. If these symptoms begin to affect the individual’s daily life, the risk of depression should be addressed through psychological and psychiatric assessments. In such cases, a treatment plan involving psychotherapy and medications should be implemented. Adolescents may sometimes reject treatment or may not even have the energy to come for treatment. In such cases, working with the adolescent’s family can help plan the treatment. In addition, for adolescents who are open to treatment, cognitive and behavioral interventions can be applied to address their existing negative feelings and thoughts, and efforts can be made to enhance their daily functionality with social skills and activities.
Reference:
Kashani J.H., Carlson G.A., & Beck N. (1987). Depression, depressive symptoms, and depressive mood among a community sample of adolescents. Am J Psychiatry, 144, 931-934. doi: 10.1176/ajp.144.7.931
Elif ÇALIŞKAN
Clinical Psychologist
Uzman Bilgisi
Psy. Elif CALISKAN
Clinical Psychologist
- Üniversite : Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology, Istanbul Bilgi University (Full Scholarship - Honor Student), Faculty of Letters, Department of Sociology (Minor), Hacettepe University, 2016
- Uzmanlık : Ankara University, Institute of Health Sciences, Interdisciplinary Family Counseling (High Honor Student), 2021
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