What Are Signs Of Depression In Teens?

Your little child is growing up. They’re officially a teenager. You’re proud of them and the person they’re becoming, but you’ve also noticed some less-than-ideal behaviors since they hit this milestone.

What once was a happy, smiling, laughing, and eager-to-learn child is now an angry, bitter, sad, and moody teenager.

Is this behavior just a sign of them growing up? Are their friends making them become this way? Or is this a larger issue?

Here are the signs of depression in teens.

Behavioral Changes

If you’re worried that you’re seeing signs of depression in your teen, there are some behavioral changes you can watch for.

• Absences from school

• Agitated

• Appetite or eating habit changes – decreased appetite and weight loss or increased cravings and weight gain

• Complaints about headaches or body aches

• Insomnia

• Isolation

• Lack of personal hygiene

• Loss of energy

• Mood swings

• Outbursts

• Poor grades

• Restlessness

• Self-harm like cutting, picking, or burning

• Sleeping too much

• Slowed speech, movement, and thinking

• Substance abuse

• Suicide plan or attempt

• Tiredness

Emotional Changes

Your teen may be experiencing some emotional changes. These can easily be tied to them growing up and becoming a teenager. Their body is going through a lot of different changes, internally and externally.

Here are the emotional changes you should be on the lookout for if you’re worried about your teen developing depression:

• Anger

• Annoyed

• Anxiety

• Criticism

• Difficulty making decisions

• Emptiness

• Fixation on mistakes or failures

• Guiltiness

• Hopelessness, especially in relation to the future

• Irritable

• Lack of concentration

• Lack of interest in activities, especially ones they previously enjoyed

• Lack of interest in family or friends

• Low self-esteem

• Need for reassurance

• Sadness

• Self-blame

• Sensitive

• Thoughts about death or dying

• Worthlessness

How to Know If and When It’s a Problem

If you start to notice some of these behavioral and emotional changes, don’t automatically assume that it’s depression. Depression is something that goes beyond just the standard teenage mood.

If you notice that your child is acting like a different person and these behaviors continue for longer than two weeks, your child may be struggling with depression.

If you’re still not quite sure and don’t want to risk making things worse by assuming, try to consider the following:

1. How long have you noticed the depression-like symptoms?

2. How bad are the symptoms that you’re noticing?

3. In what ways is your teenager acting differently from normal?

Still Not Sure?

It’s okay if you’re still not sure if your teenager is just going through a phase or struggling with depression. The teenage mind and body go through a lot of different changes, and it can be a lot for your child to manage.

As a parent, you want to make sure you’re doing what’s best for them. You don’t want them to be struggling with depression, but if they are, you want to make sure you get them the help they need. You also don’t want to risk assuming and making things worse.

There are a couple of key indicators that can help you determine if it’s really just teen angst and moodiness or if a deeper issue like depression is playing a role.

Here are some of the key indicators that your teenager is struggling with depression:

1. Your teenager is no longer interested in activities, sports, or classes they once enjoyed.

2. Your teenager is isolating themself. They seem to be on their phone or playing video games in their room instead of surrounding themselves with family or friends.

3. Your teenager is making changes to their daily life. They may be sleeping more, missing classes, or deciding to no longer pursue an extracurricular activity.

How to Get Help

If your teenager is struggling with depression, it may be time to reach out for help.

The sooner you reach out for help, the sooner you can help them get back on track to living their life to their fullest potential. With the right support from you and your loved ones, your child can navigate their depression and get the right tools to better manage their emotions and behavioral changes.

Reach out to us today or email to set up to set up a session for your child for teen counseling and depression therapy or for you to learn how to best help your child navigate depressions.