The characteristics of depression in adolescents and what parents need to do

Many say that adolescence is the most beautiful time. However, did you know that at this time adolescents are prone to depression? So, how do you know the characteristics of depression in adolescents? The following is the review.

Why do teenagers get depressed?

As a period of transition from childhood to early adulthood, adolescence is often a difficult time.

Judging from the psychology of immature teenagers, they tend to rebel against what they don't like or agree with.

This makes it not uncommon for a teenager to experience emotional turmoil.

Social life, such as family relationships, friendships, romance or academic problems at school often make adolescents feel depressed.

In fact, it can be a source of mild stress - which, if left untreated, can last a long time and lead to depression.

Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, depression in adolescents can occur due to various causes, usually due to the influence of social media, worries about posture that is not ideal, or because of decreased academic problems.

Some of the factors that can cause depression in adolescents include:

• Genetic factors
• Hormonal changes
• Biological factors, depression due to biological factors occurs when neurotransmitters which are natural brain chemicals are disturbed
• Trauma that occurs during childhood, such as physical or emotional abuse, loss of a parent
• Negative thinking habits
• Pressure from the immediate environment, for example being a victim of bullying

Effect of sleep deprivation with depression in adolescents

The impact of lack of sleep or chronic sleep disorders can increase the risk of adolescents experiencing depression. The reason is, the adolescence period is basically a vulnerable period for children to experience long-term mental health issues.

This also deals with usage gadget and playing social media at night.

According to Heather Cleland Woods, head of research at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, social media use in general has an impact on sleep quality.

Apart from forgetting time, this habit also has an impact on increasing psychological stress.

Then, reinforced by a study in the American Psychological Association in 2011. There is a link between adolescent active users of social media and traits associated with schizophrenia and depression.

Higher levels of social media use also increase the risk of adolescents being victimized cyber-bullying .

Both are associated with an increased risk of anxiety disorders and depression in adolescents.

Depression in boys and girls affects different parts of the brain

Depression has different effects on boys and girls. One of the reasons is because women are more prone to depression than men.

Research has found that girls as young as 15 are more likely to develop depression than men because of genetics, hormonal fluctuations, or a desire to get into shape.

Sex differences not only have different effects of depression, but also on the degree of depression and its effects.

A study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry found that depression affects the brains of teenage boys and girls in different parts.

This is shown in a study involving 82 girls and 24 boys who experience depression.

The comparison is 24 girls and 10 boys with normal condition, overall aged 11 to 18 years.

Researchers are trying to explore what happens to the brain when these teenagers are triggered by depression with sad sentences.

Then the response is measured using MRI. So, what happens to the brain?

In fact, depressed adolescent boys experience decreased activity in the cerebellum, whereas this does not happen to women.

In addition, there are two parts of the brain that respond differently to adolescents with depression

This difference in brain activity occurs in supramarginal gyrus and posterior cingulate . Gyrus supramargina l is the part of the brain involved in language perception and processing.

While posterior cingulate is an area of ​​the brain that is sensitive to pain and episodic memory retrieval.

Unfortunately, it is not certain how these two brain regions play a role in depression.

What are the characteristics of adolescents experiencing depression?

When a teenager is depressed, it is possible that he will show changes in attitude and behavior. Sometimes, this condition goes unnoticed by parents.

Therefore, it's a good idea to pay attention to the characteristics and symptoms that can vary.

Emotional characteristics of depression in adolescents:

• Losing motivation and enthusiasm in doing activities
• Feeling sad, frustrated, and hopeless
• Irritable and angry easily over little things
• Low self-esteem
• Feeling useless and failing
• Difficulty thinking, concentrating, and difficult to make decisions
• Thinking of suicide

The characteristics of depression in adolescents in terms of behavior change:

• Tires easily and loses energy
• Insomnia or sleeping too much
• Change in appetite (decrease or increase in eating)
• Feel restless and have difficulty concentrating
• Alone and shut himself in the room
• Pay no attention to appearance
• Tend to do negative things
• Performance at school has decreased
• The desire to hurt yourself

Depression is different from ordinary sadness

Feelings of sadness, disappointment, or despair are common during this phase of adolescent development. Even though the symptoms are similar, it does not mean that a person must be depressed.

Therefore you need to know in advance what is the difference between sadness and depression.

Sadness is usually temporary or for a short period of time and then fades away over time.

Only by doing fun things, sadness usually goes away and someone will be cheerful again.

Meanwhile, depression is a condition when this sadness never ends and even gets worse every day.

Depression will not go away on its own and requires medical treatment to treat the symptoms.

A depressed child may even lose interest in doing the things he likes. He could have locked himself in the room from days to weeks.

If your child experiences this, try to approach him slowly and talk to them.

Invite the child to consult a psychiatrist and explain that only a psychiatrist can help overcome what he feels so that it doesn't drag on.

Things parents can do when a child is depressed

Consulting a psychiatrist or psychologist is what needs to be done so that depression can be handled properly.

However, the role of parents is also important because it is a form of support when depression occurs in adolescents.

Here are some things parents can do:

1. Communication with children

When you see your child has signs of depression, try to communicate with him to find out what he is feeling and thinking.

It makes your child feel less alone in going through tough times.

2. Help children through difficult times

When you are depressed, you may experience some symptoms that interfere with daily activities. Therefore, you have to help get through the tough times.

One of them is by helping children to live healthy lives such as getting enough sleep, exercising, and eating nutritious foods.

3. Do activities that are fun

When the child is too saturated to become depressed, spend time doing fun things.

For example, watching movies, playing games , doing activities that have never been done, going on vacation to get a new atmosphere, and so on.

This method is expected to help slowly overcome the depressed mood due to depression.

4. Be patient and understanding

When depression in adolescents strikes, their behavior changes and does not rule out that it can make you feel frustrated too. Recall that these behavioral changes are a result of depression.

Try to be patient, understanding and avoid using harsh words so that the relationship between you and your child is maintained.

5. Follow medication and treatment regularly

If you decide to consult a psychiatrist, be aware of the treatments they are given.

This will help you know how to respond and provide support. Also make sure the child takes the recommended medication.

How to prevent depression in adolescents

Depression can be avoided if the child has support system so that he doesn't feel alone and gets support.

Some ways that can be done to prevent depression in adolescents are as follows:

1. Maintain good relations with friends

Every now and then you can ask your child to invite their friends over to the house. Tell her that you are going to cook a delicious meal for her friends.

This method is done to build good relationships with their friends and to make children positively connected to their closest friends.

2. Keep the child active

School or work activities or sports can make children focus on positive things - thus avoiding negative thoughts or things.

For that, support the child if he wants to participate in any positive activities at school.

3. Chat regularly with children

Chat between parents and children does not always have to be serious or just about school. You can ask casually such as “Sis, whose house did you come to yesterday? Hey, you guys are close huh."

Casual conversations with children are important in building your closeness to them.

If possible right now you are the one who provoked him to tell a story, maybe later the child will tell the story first.

This might happen when the child already feels that you are a person who can be told about anything, including the problems they are facing, including an identity crisis..

4. Be sensitive to signs or warnings

As a parent, it is important for you to learn various things about child development including depression in adolescents.

This is to help you find out about signs or symptoms, treatment, and care for children who have depression.

After knowing about the symptoms of depression, it will be easier for you to recognize which are signs of depression and which are common signs of sadness.

You will also be more sensitive to what your child shows you - both his feelings and behavior.

Knowing the signs of depression early can reduce the risk of developing a worse depression because you can take it for treatment right away.

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