How to Screen Teenagers for Depression
Look for mood changes., Watch for loss of interest., Look for trouble focusing., Check for fatigue., Monitor for feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness., Notice weight changes., Watch for insomnia., Monitor for suicidal thoughts., Notice how long...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Look for mood changes.
Depression can make your teen’s entire mood and demeanor change.
She may start acting extremely sad, angry, or frustrated for no apparent reason.
This is different than hormonal or normal mood swings.
These are intense feelings that last for a long time.Your teen may be irritable often and get upset easily. -
Step 2: Watch for loss of interest.
Depression generally causes a loss of interest in normal activities.
Your teen may have once found pleasure in reading, watching television, or sports, but now she doesn’t.
Pay attention to your teen and notice if she finds no pleasure in anything anymore.This is different than changing interests.
Teens will change as they age, and some things they used to like won’t be nearly as important.
With depression, your teen will lose interest in almost all activities. , Depression can cause your teen to lose focus.This might mean your teen has more trouble concentrating, and therefore her grades may fall.
Depression can also cause increased indecisiveness., Depression can cause a person to lose her energy.
Feeling listless and fatigued might manifest in many ways.
Your teen might start sleeping more than usual, be less active, and go out less.Your teen may even stop hanging out with friends she used to, including her best friends.
Your teen’s motivation level may change.
Feelings of fatigue may make her feel less motivated than she used to be., Depression makes people feel like they are worthless or their life is hopeless.
These symptoms might be hard to monitor for.
Listen to what you teen says.
Pay attention to any sentiments that might mean your teen feels worthless or hopeless.Depression can make someone stop enjoying life.
Your teen may not see the point of anything anymore. , Depression can cause significant weight changes.
For some teens, they stop eating and lose weight as a result.
Others gain weight because they emotional or stress eat.If you notice your teen has gained or lost weight, it may be due to depression. , Insomnia is a common symptom of depression.
Your teen may have trouble falling asleep, sleep less than usual, or be unable to stay asleep.Insomnia may be easy for your teen to hide.
If you think your teen looks more tired than usual, check on her throughout the night to see if she is asleep or unable to sleep. , People who are depressed don’t always have suicidal thoughts, but it can increase the likelihood of suicidal thoughts.
Pay attention to any signs of suicidal tendencies in your teen.The most obvious sign is your teen talking about hurting or killing herself.
However, she may not vocalize this around you.
Look for unnecessarily dangerous acts, like reckless driving or using drugs and alcohol.
Watch for your teen pulling away from her family and friends.
Listen for your teen to talk about being hopeless, not talking about the future, or not being around.
Look for your teen to give away possessions. , There’s a difference between a teen who’s sad and one who is depressed.
Depression lasts for a long time, not just a few days.
Symptoms of depression may last for weeks, months, or even longer., Knowing common causes for depression may help you figure out if your teen has depression.
Depression may have no known cause, but there are experiences that may make your teen more susceptible to depression.
These include:
Death Divorce Having family members who are depressed Having a prior mental health issue Feeling overly stressed Family history of depression -
Step 3: Look for trouble focusing.
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Step 4: Check for fatigue.
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Step 5: Monitor for feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness.
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Step 6: Notice weight changes.
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Step 7: Watch for insomnia.
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Step 8: Monitor for suicidal thoughts.
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Step 9: Notice how long the symptoms last.
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Step 10: Know common causes of depression.
Detailed Guide
Depression can make your teen’s entire mood and demeanor change.
She may start acting extremely sad, angry, or frustrated for no apparent reason.
This is different than hormonal or normal mood swings.
These are intense feelings that last for a long time.Your teen may be irritable often and get upset easily.
Depression generally causes a loss of interest in normal activities.
Your teen may have once found pleasure in reading, watching television, or sports, but now she doesn’t.
Pay attention to your teen and notice if she finds no pleasure in anything anymore.This is different than changing interests.
Teens will change as they age, and some things they used to like won’t be nearly as important.
With depression, your teen will lose interest in almost all activities. , Depression can cause your teen to lose focus.This might mean your teen has more trouble concentrating, and therefore her grades may fall.
Depression can also cause increased indecisiveness., Depression can cause a person to lose her energy.
Feeling listless and fatigued might manifest in many ways.
Your teen might start sleeping more than usual, be less active, and go out less.Your teen may even stop hanging out with friends she used to, including her best friends.
Your teen’s motivation level may change.
Feelings of fatigue may make her feel less motivated than she used to be., Depression makes people feel like they are worthless or their life is hopeless.
These symptoms might be hard to monitor for.
Listen to what you teen says.
Pay attention to any sentiments that might mean your teen feels worthless or hopeless.Depression can make someone stop enjoying life.
Your teen may not see the point of anything anymore. , Depression can cause significant weight changes.
For some teens, they stop eating and lose weight as a result.
Others gain weight because they emotional or stress eat.If you notice your teen has gained or lost weight, it may be due to depression. , Insomnia is a common symptom of depression.
Your teen may have trouble falling asleep, sleep less than usual, or be unable to stay asleep.Insomnia may be easy for your teen to hide.
If you think your teen looks more tired than usual, check on her throughout the night to see if she is asleep or unable to sleep. , People who are depressed don’t always have suicidal thoughts, but it can increase the likelihood of suicidal thoughts.
Pay attention to any signs of suicidal tendencies in your teen.The most obvious sign is your teen talking about hurting or killing herself.
However, she may not vocalize this around you.
Look for unnecessarily dangerous acts, like reckless driving or using drugs and alcohol.
Watch for your teen pulling away from her family and friends.
Listen for your teen to talk about being hopeless, not talking about the future, or not being around.
Look for your teen to give away possessions. , There’s a difference between a teen who’s sad and one who is depressed.
Depression lasts for a long time, not just a few days.
Symptoms of depression may last for weeks, months, or even longer., Knowing common causes for depression may help you figure out if your teen has depression.
Depression may have no known cause, but there are experiences that may make your teen more susceptible to depression.
These include:
Death Divorce Having family members who are depressed Having a prior mental health issue Feeling overly stressed Family history of depression
About the Author
Natalie Scott
Specializes in breaking down complex lifestyle topics into simple steps.
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