Live Healthy This Fall

Is Your Teen Depressed?

Adolescence brings on physical, social and emotional changes in young people. No wonder teens often act moody and test their parents' patience!

But it's not normal for a teen to feel sad or tired almost all the time or to prefer to always be alone. And teens who abuse alcohol or other drugs may be doing so to avoid feeling sad. These signs could indicate depression.

Older adolescents are more likely than younger ones to be depressed, and girls are more likely than boys to have depression.

Other potential warning signs include:

• Loss of self-confidence
• Lack of energy; listlessness
• Negative attitude
• Irritability, loss of temper, or overreaction to criticism
• Changes in sleeping patterns, such as sleeping too much or not enough
• Poor school performance or frequent absences

Fast Fact

Two million adolescents ages 12 to 17 have experienced at least one major depressive episode in 2007, according to the most recent data available. That's 8.2 percent of the adolescent population. Only 38.9 percent of that population sought treatment.

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