The term depression gets thrown around a lot these days, with celebrities confessing to dealing with challenges in high school and popular media using the subject with artistic liberties.
In adolescents, depression is actually very common. According to Pediatrics in Review, 1 in 5 teens experience an episode of major depression by young adulthood. Several factors make them vulnerable, and inadequate behavioral and mental health care is also one of them.
For adolescents, identifying signs of depression can be particularly challenging since they can mimic the quintessential moodiness one associates with this age.
Here are three of the starkest ones that can still be sidelined as routine, simply because they may also occur to some degree for innocuous reasons.
1. Withdrawing From Hobbies They Once Enjoyed
There was a time when they didn't miss a single football practice. They always turned up for the book club to argue passionately about the latest science fiction novel. And now, nothing can make them leave their rooms.
Withdrawing from activities that used to be a significant part of our lives can be a well-established sign of depression. Studies consistently find that depression can cause an inability to experience interest or pleasure in activities, a concern labeled as anhedonia. It may also manifest in mental health issues like anxiety.
The challenge is that many adolescents do this for other reasons as well, such as choosing video games over outdoor team games. Some go through a kind of blanket moodiness, induced by an aversion to a certain high school group. Parents and teachers may believe that their child’s withdrawal is down to such moodiness and not associate it with mental health concerns.
2. Feeling Surprisingly Sleepy or Hungry (or the Reverse)
Again, this is a classic sign that is easy to confuse with standard teenage behavior.
Depression can cause changes in an adolescent’s sleep patterns and appetite. They may feel sleepier than usual or be unable to sleep well. They may feel hungrier than before or lose their appetite. From binge eating for comfort and distraction to staying up playing games all night, the range of behaviors that can indicate depression is vast.
A Frontiers in Neuroscience study observes that sleep disruption and depression have long had a tight association, even though a causal relationship hasn’t been established yet.
For adolescents, sleep and dietary patterns can undergo drastic changes for reasons unrelated to depression. These could be academic stress or growth spurts. Knowing one from the other isn’t straightforward, which makes trusting your instincts as a guardian, teacher, or friend important.
3. Always Being Irritable or Angry
All that door slamming and throwing things around the house has become so characteristic of teenage angst that depression can lurk in plain sight and go unnoticed.
In many adolescents, depression can appear in the form of irritability, anger, and frustration. This may stem from their inability to make sense of their feelings or understand how to deal with them. When the people in their corner don’t seem to understand or empathize, these emotions may worsen.
It is important to dig deeper into the mind of a teenager who shows irritable and angry behavior all the time, instead of assuming it is rebellion or intentional angst.
How You Can Separate Teenage Normal from Depression
A thin line separates the underlying reasons for the behavior changes above. This can make the situation confusing, and family and friends may ignore the warning signs.
The key to distinguishing routine from the potentially worrisome may lie in symptom severity, frequency, and impact on everyday life. Expert guidance is often necessary to understand if these symptoms are part of typical teenage changes or indicative of mental health issues.
The education sector has stepped up to these demands by introducing programs to help professionals develop mental healthcare skills specific to the child and adolescent population. Online PMHNP programs, which allow nursing practitioners to specialize in mental health, equip primary care providers to deal with common psychiatric concerns. The online format of these courses makes them easier to pursue for professionals while balancing their work responsibilities.
Felician University observes that practitioners can learn evidence-based psychiatric care through a mix of simulation, clinical practice, and collaboration with other professionals. Such training can help separate teenage “tantrums” from deeper mental health disorders, and not necessarily be something a pediatrician is the right fit for.
Finding Acceptance and Offering Support
An adolescent suffering from depression will need non-judgmental and all-there support from their loved ones. At this time, accepting a possible diagnosis and being willing to offer the necessary help can make a monumental difference. This could be through destigmatizing therapy and being more open to changing environmental or home-based factors that may be linked with the child’s mental health.
In some cases, these signs may indicate another condition, such as a clinical mood disorder. For example, researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health have found that disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) can lead to severe irritability in children. This condition may need cognitive behavioral therapy to improve.
More youngsters are also affected by political turmoil and global disturbances. A Guardian feature explains how “political depression” can also cause anger and sleep troubles.
“Political depression – the knowledge that the world is falling apart paired with the sense that customary forms of political response … are no longer working either to change the world or to make us feel better”. - Ann Cvetkovich, queer scholar and writer.
Thus, it is important not to jump the gun and land on a (clinical) depression diagnosis before considering other possibilities.
Depression or Moodiness: Recap
| Top 3 Signs | What It May Look Like | Why It Can Be Confused With Moodiness |
| 1. Withdrawal From Hobbies | Losing interest in sports, clubs, socializing, or activities they previously enjoyed; may stay isolated in their room. | Teens may naturally change interests, prefer video games, or avoid certain social groups. |
| 2. Changes in Sleep or Appetite | Sleeping much more or less than usual; increased hunger, binge eating, or loss of appetite. | Academic stress, growth spurts, gaming, and normal changes in teenage routines can also affect sleep and eating. |
| 3. Persistent Irritability or Anger | Frequent anger, frustration, irritability, door slamming, or emotional outbursts. | Irritability and rebellious behavior are commonly associated with normal teenage angst. |
FAQs
Is withdrawing from friends a sign of depression among adolescents?
It can be. A noticeable loss of interest in socializing, hobbies, sports, or other activities a teenager once enjoyed may indicate depression. It is certainly a possibility when the change persists instead of fading out.
Does having one of these symptoms mean a teenager is depressed?
No. One symptom alone cannot diagnose depression. A mental health professional will consider the overall pattern of symptoms, how long they have lasted, their severity, and their impact on the teenager's life.
When should parents seek professional help?
Seek professional evaluation if the concerning changes persist for two weeks or longer and interfere with daily functioning. You should also get expert advice if you notice significant withdrawal and hopelessness in your child.
Depression Isn’t For Life
One reason some people hesitate to accept the possibility of their child being depressed is that they assume it will be a lifelong roadblock. They fear their child will be marked somehow. However, this is not the case. Thanks to changing and evolving treatments, many adolescents can find a significant improvement in their mood and reclaim the vigor to live a full life.
But this requires early intervention and vigilance, starting with recognizing what worrying signs could mean beyond just “regular teenage drama.”
