The median age of onset of major depression is 32 years, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, but depression can occur at any age. Depression that begins in adolescence lasts, on average, for seven to nine months, according to the Surgeon General's website, and girls experience it more often than boys. Symptoms manifest differently in children and adolescents than they do in adults.
Irritability
According to the American Psychiatric Association, adolescents with major depression sometimes do not experience an obvious sad mood, per se, as is commonly seen in adults. Instead, children may experience and exhibit extreme irritability, which may manifest with aggressive behaviors or angry outbursts. In this way, symptoms of depression differ for adolescents and adults, as irritability is less common among depressed adults. The presentation needs careful differentiation from a pattern of irritability when frustrated, such as may be demonstrated by a spoiled child.
Up to 81 percent of adolescents with depression may experience irritability, according to the Child Psych website.
Acting Out
Acting out often results from feelings of irritability, according to the Surgeon General's website. Acting out may take the form of missing curfews, unusual defiance, irresponsible behavior patterns, sexual activity, drug use and even criminality, according to MedlinePlus.
While some rebellion is considered a normal part of adolescence, if it manifests suddenly and does not reflect typical behavior for the adolescent and occurs along with other symptoms, it may reflect mood problems.
Loss of Interest or Boredom
Adolescents with depression may withdraw from their normal activities and spend more time alone. They may express a lack of interest in participating in activities or interests they used to enjoy, according to MedlinePlus. Although many normal adolescents appear to spend a lot of time in their rooms by themselves, in depression, this behavior may begin to predominate and exclude all other behaviors normally exhibited by the adolescent. According to the Surgeon General's website, some adolescents may begin to lose interest in their appearance and personal hygiene.
Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors
The incidence of suicide reaches a peak in adolescence and constitutes the third-highest cause of death among adolescents, according to the Surgeon General's website. Not all suicide cases result from depression, but it can be considered a risk factor for suicide. More than 90 percent of children and adolescents who commit suicide have some kind of mental disorder.
Not every depressed adolescent who thinks about death will attempt suicide. While as many as 63 percent of depressed adolescents, particularly girls, experience thoughts of death, up to 44 percent of them experience suicidal ideation, which includes thoughts of a more formulated plan of action, according to the Child Psych website. If an adolescent verbalizes thoughts of suicide or the belief that he might be better off dead, parents are advised to find help for the child, according to MedlinePlus.
Other Symptoms
Other signs and symptoms commonly experienced by adolescents with depression include insomnia, fatigue, an inability to experience pleasure (anhedonia) and impaired decision making, according to the Child Psych website.
References
- National Institute of Mental Health: The Numbers Count -- Mental Disorders in America
- Surgeon General: Depression and Suicide in Children and Adolescents
- "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders"; American Psychiatric Association; 2000
- MedlinePlus: Adolescent Depression
- Child Psych Research Blog: Gender and Age Differences in the Symptomatology of Child Depression
