Depression | Teenage Health | Teens First for Health

Depression is an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, sadness or lack of self-worth. We all feel sad occasionally, but when someone is depressed, the sadness is there most of the time. Feeling down gets in the way of them leading a normal life.

Causes »

Signs and symptoms »

Diagnosis and treatment »

Prevention »

Looking forward »

What causes depression and who can get it.

There are lots of things that can cause depression.

Problems at school, such as with work or bullying, can cause it. Grief over the death of a loved one or a family break-up, like if your parents are splitting up, can too. General stress can make feelings of depression worse and sometimes depression can occur for no apparent reason at all.

Depression has been linked to an imbalance of the chemicals in your brain that make you feel happy or sad. Genetics can play a part. This explains why some people are more vulnerable to depression than others.

If your mum or dad have suffered from depression you may be more likely to.

In young people, depression is more common in girls than boys.

What are the signs and symptoms of depression?

Growing up can be a difficult and confusing time. It is not unusual for young people to feel sad and tearful at times. It is when these feelings are with you most of the time that this can be a sign of depression.

Common symptoms in young people include:

Being unhappy most of the time
Headaches, tiredness and generally feeling unwell for no reason
Spending a lot of time in bed but sleeping badly and waking up early
Finding it hard to concentrate, which may affect your school work
Changes in your appetite and weight (feeling more hungry or less hungry)

Losing interest and motivation to do things that you used to enjoy, like your favourite hobby

Not wanting to see your friends or other people

Feeling useless, worthless and unloved

Black, negative thoughts about the future

Thinking about or actually harming yourself

Thinking about not wanting to live anymore

If you've had any of the symptoms above for longer than three to four weeks you may be suffering from depression.

How is it normally diagnosed and treated?

Depression can be difficult to diagnose because we can all go through times when we feel really down. But if you have depression you can't just 'snap out of it' or 'pull yourself together'.

There is no test for depression. Diagnosis is a given by a trained professional, usually a psychiatrist or psychologist. They will talk to you and maybe your parents about how you have been feeling and behaving.

The most important thing if you think you have depression is to tell someone how low you are feeling. It can be really hard to talk about it but this is often the first step to getting better.

Confide in someone you trust like your parents, a sibling, friend or a professional such as your doctor or school counsellor. This can help you to feel a lot better. If it doesn’t, they can help you get other support or treatment.

Treatment for depression consists of talking therapies, such as counselling or psychotherapy, and antidepressants.

It’s important to try to understand why you are feeling depressed. Then you can deal with the underlying problems you feel you have in your life. By doing this you can develop a more positive view of the world.

There are several different types of treatment:

Psychotherapy, or counselling, is when you talk about your problems with a professional. This helps you to come to terms with what you are feeling and why. Once you have done this you can work out what will make you feel better.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a type of talking therapy that aims to combat the negative thinking that may be making you depressed.

Antidepressants – If your depression is very bad and talking therapies aren’t helping, your doctor may suggest you take some antidepressants. These drugs react with chemicals in your brain to stop you feeling down.

Can it be prevented?

As well as getting treatment for depression, there are some things you can try to do yourself that can help to stop you feeling depressed:

Eat a healthy varied diet
Exercise
Get a good night’s sleep
Talk through your problems

All these things together can make you feel like a healthier, happier person.

Looking forward

After treatment for depression most young people feel back to normal quite quickly. But it can be very easy to slip back when things in your life are not going so well.

It is a good idea to keep in touch with your therapist, or the person that helped you through it, for a few months after feeling better.

Be aware of what the early signs of your depression were. That way if you think your depression might be coming back you can let your doctor or therapist know as soon as possible.

For more help and information

If you would like to know more about depression, please ask your doctor.

There are lots of mental health information leaflets on the Royal College of Psychiatrists website.

YoungMinds are committed to improving the mental health of all children and young people.

Don’t forget if you’re feeling desperate and need to talk to someone the Samaritans are on hand 24 hours a day to give you support. Call 08457 90 90 90.

Visit the youth area of the beat website which has information about eating disorders, how to get help and how to help someone you know with an eating disorder.

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Last reviewed by Great Ormond Street Hospital: 18 September 2007