Information from the Student Assistance Program

Normal Teen Moodiness Vs. Teen Depression


Studies suggest that major depression is one of the most common
psychiatric conditions prevalent to teenage youths. Determining the
difference between real adolescence depression and the normal moodiness
that this developmental period presents can be tricky at times. In
addition, evidence supports that there are symptom differences in teen
depression and adult depression. Knowing the differences can be helpful.

Normal Moodiness
Going along for the wild ride of normal teen development with your child
can be a worrisome process. Teen development naturally causes all kinds of
tumultuous events. It is normal to observe your teen cycle through mood
swings daily. They may appear giddy, then dejected, then somber, irritable
and peaceful all in a day. If the presence of sadness, anger and mood
swings get too dramatic and last longer than what you usually observe,
that’s when you’ll want to get seek professional assistance.

Depression
Depression is feeling more than “down in the dumps” for a few days, but
rather the experience of feeling persistently sad, angry, empty, and low
energy for weeks at a time. Chances are you’ve probably heard the usual
roll call of symptoms related to depression from various medication
commercials in the media: poor concentration, withdrawal from social
situations, loss of interest in hobbies, decline in academic/work
performance, eating too much/too little, sleeping too much/too little,
complaints of unexplainable physical pain, feelings of worthlessness and
hopelessness, thoughts of death and dying. At least four items from the
symptom list must be present for at least 2 weeks to meet criteria for
depression. Sounds like a straight forward symptom check list, right? So
what’s the trick to spotting teen depression?

Studies have supported that teenagers are less apt than adults to withdraw
from friends. They may withdraw from some but not all friends. Also
teenagers suffering from depression may present as more angry rather than
sad. So some of the norms that have been set for identifying depression
criteria in adults do not always fit with the presentation profiles of
teenagers.

Studies also indicate that teenagers suffering from depression are more
likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. Regular use of substances and alcohol
may be another signal that your teen is suffering and is looking for
relief from negative moods.

What can you do?
·        Pay attention
Although it might be hard to monitor things like quality of sleep,
appetite, mood, etc., do your best. It can also be pretty hard to know how
life is really going for your teen because of their age group’s very
normal avoidance related to sharing personal information with parents. And
some teens can put on a good game face, appearing to be doing perfectly
well when, really, they are not. So tuning into behavior, rather than what
they may or not tell you, is key.

·        Talk to your teen
Continue to keep the communication lines open, they may not bite all the
time on your initiation to talk, but don’t give up trying. If persistent
in-your-face anger is the predominant feature to what you think might be
your teen’s depression, try to keep your cool. Responding in anger to your
child’s anger may shut down your chances to learn about what’s really
happening.

·        Get help
If you have the slightest question about whether your teen is suffering
from depression, seek assistance from your doctor or local mental health
professional. There are different kinds of depression so you’ll want to
consult a qualified professional to gain an accurate synopsis of what
might be affecting your child.

·        Have hope
Depression is quite treatable and with the right kind of support symptoms
can be greatly diminished.

A word about Suicide Prevention
Teenagers who have depression are at great risk for suicide not only
because thoughts of death and dying are symptoms, but also because by
nature, teenage brain development sometimes hinders forward thinking and
reasoning skills. In other words, they tend to be impulsive. There is much
debate about whether or not family discussions about suicide are helpful
or harmful. Discussing suicide with your children is a personal choice. If
you would like help with talking about the subject, check out the
Massachusetts Coalition For Suicide Prevention resource guide -
http://www.masspreventssuicide.org/resources/resguide.html - there are
many useful links there.

And of course, you are more than welcome to contact me for more
information about this subject or other topics related to wellness.
Ms. Arbour, M.A., SAP Counselor, 978-921-6132 x 303