Though a number of young people think that they have teen depression, it is impossible to know the exact number of teens who have been affected by this problem. This is because many teens do not reveal that they have this problem. Their parents also do not know that their teens have this problem. Some of the parents who have knowledge about this mental health issue commit the mistake of ignoring the problem.
Estimates vastly vary but there may approximately be 350 million people who are suffering from depression and among them, those who suffer from teen depression are significant in number. Strangely, women are more prone to be affected by this problem than men.
There are many types of pressures that people face. These pressures keep varying but in general, there are certain pressures that can easily trigger depression. In the case of adolescents, peer pressure, expectations of parents and teachers, circumstances including family environment, traumatic experiences, etc. play a major role in contributing to their depression. Adolescents are nearing adulthood but they are not equipped mentally to handle extreme pressures. In fact, it is during the adolescent period, the major changes in their brain functioning take place. The neural networks get rewired only during this period.
To understand teen depression, we need to know what depression is and how those who have been affected by it feel.
Depression
This is defined as sadness that persistently remains with a person for a prolonged period.
What Do Others Think?
Those who do not have the problem of depression may not be able to understand the problem. They may think that the problem is not serious. But, the fact is depression is quite serious. Especially, if teen depression is not recognized and treated on time, the adolescents may lose their life itself.
We often hear that even the celebrities we admire have this problem but we tend to wonder how they, with all the wealth and fame, can be affected by depression. But, in reality, wealth and fame cannot prevent depression because the factors that contribute to it are extraneous to money and fame.
Major Contributor For Teen Depression
As far as teen depression is concerned, the lack of love and attention from parents can easily be the major contributor for it. Nowadays, both the parents are forced to go for employment, thanks to the bad economic situation that prevails almost everywhere. Though parents cannot be mistaken for this, the mistake they commit is not spending quality time with their children.
When children feel peer pressure and other types of pressures, parents should be a source of strength to them. Only if they spend time with them to know their feelings, they will be able to bring them out of their sadness.
What Parents Should Do?
However busy they may be, parents should understand that teens yearn for their attention. Parents may be having extreme love for their children but these teens are too naive to realize this. So, parents should express their love and concern for their teens. If this does not happen, teens start behaving strangely. They withdraw from everyone, they may stop being attentive in classes and some of them may become rebellious. In extreme cases, they may take to bad habits like smoking, drinking or drug abuse.
Main Feelings Of Teens
One of the prominent feelings among teens is that they yearn for love, affection and attention. This should mainly come from parents. If adolescents do not get what they expect, it results in teen depression.
To summarize, if parents spend time with their teens, understand their feelings, speak encouraging words to them and make them realize that they are offering unconditional support and love to them, teen depression can certainly be avoided.