TEEN DEPRESSION, continued from 7
to help the pediatrician understand that this is not just the usual teenage stuff. Some pediatricians are comfortable treating depression. For most, it’s not their area of expertise and they will refer your child for a mental health assessment,” said Shull. A DIAGNOSIS OF MAJOR DEPRESSION
is based on professional observation and evaluation, information provided by family members, and the criteria found in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—commonly referred to as the DSM. Those criteria mandate, for example, that a depressed mood must last more than two weeks and that symptoms interfere with day-to-day activities. The assessor is likely to ask parents to provide detail about any trauma a teen has previously undergone and any challenges he is facing, according to NAMI. Of the 1.9 million teens who suffered a major depressive episode in 2010, the most recent year for which statistics are available, about 38 percent received treatment, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported. Medications and psychological counseling, individually or in concert, can help most teens combat it. Psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy are the two most common nonmedicinal forms of treatment for teen depression. Psychotherapy is intended to help teens find relief from emotional pain and gain insights into their struggles. When done on a regular basis, it allows the teen “to build a trusting relationship—one where they feel understood by a person whose empathy is authentic—with a supportive adult,” said Shull. “Cognitive behavioral therapy helps teens…change the way they are thinking and perceiving things. It is very empowering,” said Shull. “Instead of someone else figuring them out, they begin to figure themselves out and master skills— ways to relax and cope—that can be used for the rest of their lives.”
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“If they are diagnosed and there’s intervention in their teen years, they’ll
go on to lead productive lives.” -Jackee Shull, staff clinical educator
In some cases, family or group therapy may prove beneficial. Improving interpersonal relationships and communication and decreasing conflict is at the heart of family therapy, said Shull. Group therapy, as a supplement to individual therapy, can “help a teenager realize there are others with similar feelings and who also have experienced rejection.” SEVERAL ANTIDEPRESSANTS ARE
available to treat depression but, noted Shull, not all are approved for teens, whose brains are still developing. “Because everyone’s chemistry is different, it may take time to find the best medication that will stabilize a teenager’s mood.” Although antidepressants generally are considered safe when taken as directed, they can in some instances increase the risk of suicide. In 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration required that warnings to that effect be included with antidepressants. The greatest risks associated with the use of antidepressant medications exist in the first few months of treatment, so teens should be closely monitored. Because some can cause withdrawal symptoms, teens should never abruptly stop taking their medication. While depressive episodes may recur throughout the teenage years, they generally stop by early adulthood. “Statistics show that about 20 percent who have risk factors may go on to have depression in their adulthood,” said Shull. “But if they are diagnosed and there’s intervention in their teen years, they’ll go on to lead productive lives. They’re not fated to deal with it forever.”