When It’s Not Just Puberty: Signs of Depression in Teens

Do you have a teenager living in your home? Then you’re probably well aware of how moody some teenagers can be at times.

It’s not uncommon at all for teenagers to fly off the handle over the littlest thing, in part because of their changing hormones. It’s why you shouldn’t be too worried if your teenager’s mood seems different in recent weeks.

But at the same time, you should also keep your eyes peeled for any signs of depression in teens. Over the last few years, studies have shown that depression in teens is on the rise—and it’s easy to mistake the symptoms of depression in teens for something else.

Today, we’re going to walk you through some of the signs of depression in teen boys and girls. It’ll help you monitor teen mental health more effectively in your home.

Unexplained Sadness

Does it seem as though your teenager is sad all the time?

It could be because they’re going through a breakup. It could also be because they’re having a hard time juggling their workload at school.

You should speak with them about the sadness that you see in them and try to get to the bottom of it. There could be a perfectly good explanation for why they’re feeling sad so often.

But if they’re sad and can’t put a finger on why they’re sad, this could be one of the many symptoms of depression in teens. You might want to bring a teen therapist on board to help you get an official diagnosis.

Lack of Interest in Normal Activities

Has your teenager stopped hanging out with their friends as much as they used to? Or did they tell you that they no longer want to participate in a sport that they’ve played for years now?

These might also be signs of depression in teens. Teenagers will sometimes show a sudden lack of interest in their normal activities when they’re feeling depressed.

They might even go as far as to tell you that they feel hopeless about the future. That could be a sign of a depressive disorder that you’ll need to seek professional help for.

Alcohol and Drug Use

It’s not all that out of the ordinary for teenagers to experiment with alcohol and drugs. If you just discovered that your teenager is using alcohol and/or drugs, you should confront them about it.

You should also examine why they might be using alcohol and/or drugs. It could be a sign that they’re experiencing depression and using alcohol and/or drugs to mask their emotions.

If you don’t get the sense that your teenager is abusing alcohol and/or drugs yet, you might be able to push them to stop using them on their own. But you may also have to look into sending them to a rehab center for teens so that they can get the help they need.

These Are Just Some of the Signs of Depression in Teens

As a parent, you might think that you know your teenager better than anyone else. You have, after all, helped to raise them up until this point.

But because you spend so much time around your teenager, it’s easy to miss some of the most common signs of depression in teens. You should take a step back and think about if you’ve seen any of the symptoms of depression in teens that we’ve listed here today. You should also think about if you’ve spotted any other signs that might concern you.

Find more useful parenting tips and tricks by checking out the other articles found on our blog.