Adolescent Depression 2 Term paper

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Depression is a disease that afflicts the human psyche in such

a way that the afflicted tends to act and react abnormally toward

others and themselves. Therefore it comes to no surprise to discover

that adolescent depression is strongly linked to teen suicide.

Adolescent suicide is now responsible for more deaths in youths aged

15 to 19 than cardiovascular disease or cancer (Blackman, 1995).

Despite this increased suicide rate, depression in this age group is

greatly underdiagnosed and leads to serious difficulties in school,

work and personal adjustment which may often continue into adulthood.

How prevalent are mood disorders in children and when should an

adolescent with changes in mood be considered clinically depressed?

Brown (1996) has said the reason why depression is often over

looked in children and adolescents is because "children are not

always able to express how they feel." Sometimes the symptoms of mood

disorders take on different forms in children than in adults.

Adolescence is a time of emotional turmoil, mood swings, gloomy

thoughts, and heightened sensitivity. It is a time of rebellion and

experimentation. Blackman (1996) observed that the "challenge is to

identify depressive symptomatology which may be superimposed on the

backdrop of a more transient, but expected, developmental storm."

Therefore, diagnosis should not lay only in the physician's hands but

be associated with parents, teachers and anyone who interacts with the

patient on a daily basis. Unlike adult depression, symptoms of youth

depression are often masked. Instead of expressing sadness, teenagers

may express boredom and irritability, or may choose to engage in risky

behaviors (Oster & Montgomery, 1996). Mood disorders are often

accompanied by other psychological problems such as anxiety (Oster &

Montgomery, 1996), eating disorders (Lasko et al., 1996),

hyperactivity (Blackman, 1995), substance abuse (Blackman, 1995;

Brown, 1996; Lasko et al., 1996) and suicide (Blackman, 1995; Brown,

1996; Lasko et al., 1996; Oster & Montgomery, 1996) all of which can

hide depressive symptoms.

The signs of clinical depression include marked changes in

mood and associated behaviors that range from sadness, withdrawal, and

decreased energy to intense feelings of hopelessness and suicidal

thoughts. Depression is often described as an exaggeration of the

duration and intensity of "normal" mood changes (Brown 1996). Key

indicators of adolescent depression include a drastic change in eating

and sleeping patterns, significant loss of interest in previous

activity interests (Blackman, 1995; Oster & Montgomery, 1996),

constant boredom (Blackman, 1995), disruptive behavior, peer problems,

increased irritability and aggression (Brown, 1996). Blackman (1995)

proposed that "formal psychologic testing may be helpful in

complicated presentations that do not lend themselves easily to

diagnosis." For many teens, symptoms of depression are directly

related to low self esteem stemming from increased emphasis on peer

popularity. For other teens, depression arises from poor family

relations which could include decreased family support and perceived

rejection by parents (Lasko et al., 1996). Oster & Montgomery (1996)

stated that "when parents are struggling over marital or career

problems, or are ill themselves, teens may feel the tension and try to

distract their parents." This "distraction" could include increased

disruptive behavior, self-inflicted isolation and even verbal threats

of suicide. So how can the physician determine when a patient should

be diagnosed as depressed or suicidal? Brown (1996) suggested the best

way to diagnose is to "screen out the vulnerable groups of children

and adolescents for the risk factors of suicide and...

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