As adolescents make the transition from childhood to young adulthood, they have many experiences that leave them exhilarated and despondent by turns. Perhaps more than any other time of life, adolescence is an age of dramatic emotional ups and downs. But for some teens, the normal lows of adolescence become more than simply bad moods and veer into episodes of major depression.
A Biological Disease
There is no simple explanation for why some adolescents sink into depression while others do not. In general terms, teens become depressed for the same reasons as adults. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, or NIMH, a depressed mood is the result of an imbalance of chemicals in the brain---specifically, chemicals called neurotransmitters, which help different parts of the brain communicate with each other. Scientists believe that the root of this imbalance of brain chemicals is at least partly genetic. A teen who comes from a family with a history of depression may have a predisposition to becoming depressed.
Environmental Factors
However, genetics do not tell the whole story. Although depression often runs in families, people with no family history of depression also experience depressive episodes. Experts believe that a combination of genetics and environmental stressors is necessary to bring on depression. As stated by the NIMH, "Genetics research indicates that risk for depression results from the influence of multiple genes acting together with environmental or other nongenetic factors." Many types of life events can trigger depression in teens, according to the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, including the death of a loved one, bullying at school, abuse at home or the absence of a parent.
Girls versus Boys
Girls are twice as likely to be depressed as boys, states the NIH. This disparity is due to a variety of causes, the NIMH notes, including hormones as well as psychological factors. Girls seem to be less likely to bounce back after difficult events and more likely to doubt their problem-solving skills. However, they are also much more likely to experience severe hardships such as poverty and child sexual abuse, the NIMH notes. Stress also appears to be a factor. According to Pediatric News, "At least one study shows that girls experience more stress than do boys, and they experience more depression as a result of stress."
Gay Teens
None of this is to say that adolescent boys do not get depressed---especially those who are bullied or gay---or both. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that "gay male adolescents are two to three times more likely than their peers to attempt suicide." Zachary Bundy, a gay teen quoted in Tulsa World newspaper, describes how the despair he experienced after his parents rejected him due to his homosexuality left him depressed and suicidal. "I didn't fit anywhere, and I felt like I was more of a bother than anything.... I felt like it was better not to deal with it and just end it."
A Complex Illness
The cause of depression in adolescents is far from simple. The reason any one teen becomes depressed is as unique as the individual in question. Regardless of the cause, according to the NIMH, symptoms of depression in adolescents should be taken seriously, as teen depression is often associated with substance abuse and other problems. The stakes are made clear by the disturbing statistic that 7 percent of those with major depression in adolescence commit suicide as young adults.
References
- National Institute of Mental Health: Causes of Depression
- National Institutes of Health: Adolescent Depression
- National Institute of Mental Health: How Does Depression Affect Adolescent Girls?
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Healthy People 2010--Reproductive Health
- "Tulsa World"; A Place to Feel Safe: A Center for Gay Teens Tries to Combat Depression with Support; Leigh Woolsey; May 15, 2006
