There are a lot of things that may cause teenage depression since adolescence can be a very turbulent and difficult time. A lot of young people suffer from emotional difficulties and most of the time, they don’t really know how to manage their feelings. Depression can be treated and that’s why, if you are a parent, it’s extremely important to see if your teen is irritable lately due to all those hormonal changes, or if it is something else that they are not telling you about. Depression can really affect your well-being, it makes it tough to function, you might feel hopeless and you might not enjoy the things around you as you once did. Here are a few things that may cause teenage depression that you should pay attention to:
Academic stress is definitely one of the most important things that may cause teenage depression. Teens nowadays are under a huge amount of academic pressure, especially since the education fees are so high and since most of them need to obtain a scholarship in order to continue their studies. In time, stressing over grades, tests and classes can lead to depression.
This is another very important thing that may cause depression in teens, since in adolescence romantic problems can have a bigger impact on the emotional well-being of the teen and can easily become a more influential part of their life. Just talk to your child and see what’s bothering them.
Separating or divorcing parents can really influence the emotional well-being of their teens. The dissolution of the family can be very upsetting and it can even traumatize your child. Just help them cope with that situation, be open and even go to counseling together so that you can make sure that your teen learns how to deal with their emotions in a healthier way.
Even if your child has grown up now, it doesn’t mean that they don’t need your attention, your support or your guidance. The lack of parental attention, either physical or emotional, can cause depression in teens, so make sure you are always there for your child, show them you love them no matter what, encourage them and help them overcome this difficult time in their life.
Low self-esteem can cause depression at any age but it has a bigger influence on teens. Being a teenager is never easy, there are a lot of struggles you have to face on a daily basis and there are a lot of things that you need to learn. It’s extremely important to face all those obstacles with a healthy attitude, so they won’t affect your happiness in the long term.
Some people are genetically predisposed to suffer from depression at some point in their life, so if you are a teen and your parents or your close relatives suffer from depression, then you might be predisposed as well. Don’t despair though, because there are a lot of tricks you can learn that can help you fight depression so you’ll be able to live a happier and more fulfilled life.
Popularity and the need to be accepted by their peers is very important to a lot of teens nowadays. Also, the appearance of peer pressure to try alcohol, different illicit drugs or other experimental behaviors can be traumatic for some teens who are not eager to give in but who are afraid of damaging their reputation through refusal.
Teenage depression is a serious problem nowadays, which needs our undivided attention. Do you know any other things that may cause teenage depression? Please tell us about them in the comments section!
Sources: mindyourmind.ca, webmd.com, helpguide.org