How Adolescent Psychology Helps with Teen Depression

By Brittany

The teenage years can be exciting, fun, and filled with adventure. But teens often experience new emotions, social pressures, and a can sometimes choose the wrong path.Teen angst is no laughing matter, as it can turn into depression, anxiety, rage, and other mental disorders. Adolescent psychology, according to the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, is a discipline that is “dedicated to treating and improving the quality of life for children, adolescents, and families affected by mental disorders.”

Teens who suffer from depression are at a higher risk for suicide. The website Teen Depression – Help for Troubled Teens estimates that “untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide, the third leading cause of death among teenagers. 90 percent of suicide victims suffer from a mental illness, and suffering from depression can make a teenager as much as 12 times more likely to attempt suicide.”

Even with these disturbing statistics, not every teen feeling the blues will attempt such extreme actions. Lots of adolescents experience feelings of uselessness, and of being unloved or lonely. Sometimes this is just drama. Knowing when to intervene is the key.

Some symptoms of teenage depression include:

• lack of appetite
• losing weight
• increased eating
• withdrawing from friends and loved ones
• sleeping too little or too much
• neglecting hygiene
• losing interest in hobbies
• extreme sadness
• violent behavior
• mood swings

Adolescent psychology specialists that might be able help with teen depression include psychotherapists, and adolescent psychiatrists. The latter are medical doctors who specialize in mental illness in teenagers and can prescribe medications.

Types of Therapy Shown Beneficial:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is based on the belief that it is thoughts that cause negative feelings or behaviors, rather than external issues such as situations, people or events. CBT attempts to get the people to change the way they think.
• Group therapy is where a small group of people meet, decide what they want to talk about, try to help solve problems and are encouraged to give each other feedback.
• Problem-solving therapy is the belief that the problems a person has are the response to that person’s social environment. Goals in this type of therapy include achieving personal goals and changing detrimental behavior.

In some cases, therapy is used in combination with medications to treat teen depression. Adolescent psychology has the answers parents need for dealing with depressed and anxious teens.

This post is brought to you by Argosy University. Drawing upon our more than 30-year history of granting degrees in professional psychology, Argosy University has developed a curriculum that focuses on interpersonal skills and practical experience alongside academic learning. Because getting a degree is one thing. Succeeding, quite another.