Teen years can be worrying as they come with a number of emotional, physical, and social changes. Many teenagers struggle with depression, brought on by various reasons. Teen depression, experts say, is much more than feeling temporarily sad or down in the dumps. It’s a serious and debilitating mood disorder that can change the way you think, feel, and function in your daily life, causing problems at home, school, and in your social life. In an interview with Yvonne Uwamahoro, a counsellor at mHub Rwanda, sheds some light on this, and how one can deal with symptoms, regain balance and feel more positive again. Excerpts; How common is teen depression? The teen years can be extremely tough and depression affects teenagers far more often than many of us realise. In fact, it’s estimated that one in five adolescents from all walks of life will suffer from depression at some point during their teen years. However, while depression is highly treatable, most depressed teens never receive help. What are the common signs of depression to look out for? Many rebellious and unhealthy behaviours or attitudes in teenagers can be indications of depression. The following are some the ways in which teens “act out” in an attempt to cope with their emotional pain; persistent negative mood, teens with depression may not necessarily appear sad. Instead, irritability, anger, and agitation may be the most prominent symptoms. Problems at school; Low energy and concentration difficulties, poor attendance, drop of grades. Loss of interest in activities; outside of school, you might notice that your teen shows less enthusiasm for their favourite hobbies. They may quit a sports team or hobby, for example, or withdraw from family and friends. Running away; many depressed teens run away from home or talk about running away. Such attempts are usually a cry for help. Among others like drug and alcohol abuse, smartphone addiction, reckless behaviour such as (reckless driving, binge drinking, and unsafe sex), violence, sudden changes in sleep and diet. What are the suicide warning signs? Talking or joking about committing suicide, saying statements like, “I’d be better off dead,” “I wish I could disappear forever,” or “There’s no way out”, speaking positively about death or romanticising dying (“If I died, people might love me more”), writing stories and poems about death, dying, or suicide. Engaging in reckless behaviour or having a lot of accidents resulting in injury, but also giving away prized possessions, saying goodbye to friends and family as if for the last time and seeking out weapons, pills, or other ways to kill themselves. What are the main causes of teen depression? Serious illness, chronic pain, or physical disability, having other mental health conditions, such as anxiety, an eating disorder, learning disorder. Others could be alcohol or drug abuse, academic or family problems, bullying, trauma from violence or abuse, recent stressful life experiences, such as parent divorce or the death of a loved one, loneliness and lack of social support, and spending too much time on social media. What are the dos while coping with depression? Make face time a priority. Set aside time each day to talk when you’re focused totally on your teen, without distractions or trying to multi-task. The simple act of connecting face to face can play a big role in reducing your teen’s depression. Open up a dialogue by letting your teen know what specific depression symptoms you’ve noticed and why they worry you. Make it clear that you’re ready and willing to provide whatever support they need. Combat social isolation. Do what you can to keep your teen connected to others. Try to reduce their social media use. Remind your teen that social media isn’t an ideal substitute for face-to-face interactions. Get your teen involved. Suggest activities such as sports, after-school clubs, or an art, dance, or music class that takes advantage of your teen’s interests and talents. Promote volunteerism. Doing things for others is a powerful antidepressant and self-esteem booster. Get your teen moving! Ideally, teens should be getting at least an hour of physical activity a day. Set limits on screen time. Teens often go online to escape their problems, but when screen time goes up, physical activity and face time with friends goes down. Provide nutritious, balanced meals. Make sure your teen is getting the nutrition they need for optimum brain health and mood support. Encourage plenty of sleep. Teens need more sleep than adults to function optimally up to nine to ten hours per night. Make sure your teen isn’t staying up until all hours at the expense of much-needed, mood-supporting rest. When depression is severe, don’t hesitate to seek professional help from a mental health professional. What are some of the things you shouldn’t do while looking after a depressed teenager? Hold back from asking a lot of questions (most teenagers don’t like to feel patronised or crowded). Avoid eating a lot of sugar starchy foods the quick “pick me up” of many depressed teens will only have a negative effect on their mood and energy. Make sure your teen isn’t staying up until odd hours at the expense of much-needed sleep. Avoid blame, or judging the person because this will worsen it. Don’t joke around suicidal thoughts, you should take them seriously and don’t refuse to take them to seek professional help.
