Every 100 minutes a teen commits suicide. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among teenagers who are between the ages of 15 and 24. There are many reasons behind our teen suicide epidemic, but one of the most common ones is depression. Approximately 20 percent of teens experience depression before reaching adulthood. This is a serious problem that impacts how teens think, feel, and act . These days many people involved in criminal activities get involved because of having mental issues. If you or your loved one is facing a criminal charge, then Attorney Lee Lockett recommends hiring a local criminal defense attorney, as it is the best action one can take. Attorney Lee Lockett’s firm, Locket Law, P.A., provides effective criminal defense to the clients.
Teen Depression Signs And Symptoms
Common depression emotional and behavioral signs and symptoms include:
- Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and even anger
- Crying spells without a reason
- Guilt and worthlessness feelings
- Low self-confidence
- Trouble concentrating and making decisions
The above are only a few signs and symptoms. There are so many and many are very unique to a teen. Not one teen’s depression is the same as the others. To combat the rising teen depression rates, you first need to get at the root of the problem. Let’s take a deeper look at three of the most common potential depression factors among teens.
3 Most Common Potential Depression Factors Among Teens
1. Begin By Examining Home Life
Sometimes parents begin looking at why their teen is depressed in other places when the problem may in fact begin in the home. Now the home may not be the only depression factor, but why not start in a place you 100 percent can control and change?
Issues in the home are commonly the cause for depression in most teens. One of the biggest issues could happen during puberty, when teens want to shift their time more toward friends than family, causing home issues. Between stress at school and abuse at home, teens can become very depressed and feel like their world is crashing down.
2. Bullying Causes Depression Among Teens
The problem of bullying has taken on a whole new form, becoming one of the most common reasons behind depression among teens, as well as reasons behind teen suicide. According to stopbullying.gov, 28 percent of students between grades 6 and 12 are bullied, and 20 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 experience bullying. That is a massive percentage rate for bullying in schools. Bullying can be seen in certain groups of teens than others, research has found. This leads to a bigger issue of how minority groups are singled out in the case of bullying.
3. Family History Of Depression And Other Mental Health Issues
Depression may not always be triggered by the actions of outside forces. In some cases, depression is part of a genetic marker or a family history of mental health issues. This factor of teen depression may be more challenging for parents.
If you are noticing signs and symptoms of depression in your teen, but don’t exactly know why, it could be a good idea to dig into family history. This can be revealing and help you come up with a family plan to get your teen depression treatment for better overall mental health.
Is Your Teen At Risk?
The teen suicide rate is too high to ignore depression any longer. The potential depression factors need to be addressed by parents, teachers, communities, as well as state and federal governments. The time is now to address teen depression.
The above are just a few depression factors in teens. There are a lot more, like social media use, drugs and alcohol, and major changes in life or routine. The key is to identify the signs and symptoms and start the discussion about depression and the causes with teens before it’s too late.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative guest post.
