Everyone experiences sadness from time to time. However, for some individuals the sadness and down feeling may persist and be more severe. While there are various forms of depressive disorders, Major Depressive Disorder is the most commonly diagnosed with more than an estimated 6% of adults in the United States experiencing a major depressive episode in the past year. Major Depressive Disorder is characterized by an overwhelming feeling of sadness and/or a decreased interest or pleasure in usual activities lasting for two weeks or more and accompanied by additional symptoms. These symptoms may include changes in appetite and sleep, fatigue, feeling of moving more slowly, restlessness, feelings of worthlessness and excessive guilt, difficulty concentrating and making decisions, and recurrent thoughts of death and suicidal ideation. Depression can have significant impacts on one’s overall health, work, academic and interpersonal functioning.
Can children and adolescents experience depression?
Because teenagers typically experience mood swings, it may be difficult for others to easily recognize depression in this age group. However, teenagers (ages 12-17) experience depression at higher rates than adults or younger children, with an estimated 17% of adolescents in the US experiencing a depressive episode each year. Similar to depression in adults, depression presents as experiencing a low mood and/or decreased interest in usual activities. Depression in this age group can affect interpersonal relationships and academic performance and may go unnoticed for extended periods of time, even by the teenager. Early treatment for depressive disorders is extremely important in this age group to also help offset the risk for suicidal ideation, self-harm, and substance abuse.
While depression in younger children is less common, it does affect up to 3% of youth. Depression can present similarly to that in adolescence and adulthood, but can also present as increased irritability and changes in behavior. For these reasons, depression in youth can often be overlooked.
What does treatment for depression look like?
Evidence based treatments for depression include both pharmacological approaches as well as behavioral and interpersonal therapies. Depending on the severity of the depression, a combination approach is typically recommended. Evidence-based therapies for depression include Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Interpersonal Psychotherapy. While both approaches include education and monitoring of depressive symptoms, cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on how one’s thoughts and behaviors affect one’s mood and work to change maladaptive cognitions and behaviors. Interpersonal Psychotherapy focuses on the relational factors that affect and are affected by one’s mood state and works to enhance interpersonal functioning.