Depression has become an all-too-common experience for adolescents. Rates of depression are also rising faster among people aged 13-19 than in any other age group: Between 2010-2023, teenage depression increased by 145% in girls and by 161% in boys - nearly 5 times the 33% increase experienced by adults during the same period. As of 2023, nearly 20% of U.S. teens experienced clinical depression, with 18.1% reporting a major depressive episode. The numbers are even higher in Canada, though they are based on 2022 post-Covid statistics. Between 2016 and 2022, the antidepressant uses by patients aged 12 to 21 rose by 66.3%.
If you’re parenting a teen, learning to differentiate between normal mood swings and depression may feel like a confusing, worrying process. In the guide below, we’ll discuss what depression looks like in adolescents, what parents can do to prevent it, and how to get help for your teen if she (or he) needs it.
Depression in Teens: Know the Signs
Adolescents don’t always recognize when they’re experiencing depression. Teens often downplay their feelings, and they may assume their symptoms are related to social problems, hormonal changes, or stress. As such, you should talk to your teen about the signs of depression, even if she appears mentally healthy. Knowing what to look for will help her identify changes in her mental health before they become potentially dangerous. Some of the most common symptoms of depression in teens include:
- Social withdrawal
- Persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or low self-worth
- Anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure)
- Sustained changes in sleep or appetite
- Having trouble concentrating or staying organized
- Fatigue
- Episodes of extreme anger or irritability
- Engaging in self-destructive behaviour, such as self-harm or substance abuse
- Having suicidal thoughts
As a parent, you should also remain alert for changes in your child’s functioning. If you notice your teen’s grades slipping, see her crying or acting out more than usual, or discontinuing hobbies or social activities, you should suspect a problem, especially if these changes persist for longer than three weeks.
Preventing and Managing Teenage Depression
Depression in teens isn’t always preventable owing to the influence of genetic factors on this disease. If you or someone else in your family struggles with depression, your teen may inherit the condition. Still, even if your child has risk factors for depression, there’s a lot you can do to lessen her chances of becoming ill. Similarly, if your teen develops depression, there are parenting techniques you can use to help reduce the severity of her symptoms. Along with providing access to professional counselling, we recommend trying the following strategies to support your teen’s mental health:
- Encourage your child to pursue her passions. Loss of interest in formerly enjoyable activities is a common early symptom of depression, and it can worsen disease progression by causing teens to give up things that make them feel accomplished, capable, and purposeful. Studies show that engaging in hobbies can reduce the risk of developing depression by up to 30% and increase a depressed person’s chance of recovering by 272%. Helping your child find (or maintain) enriching hobbies is therefore one of the best things you can do to safeguard her mental health. Additionally, when your child is feeling down, talk to her about finding manageable ways to stay engaged with friends and school.
- Model healthy behaviours. Getting enough sleep, eating a nutritious diet, staying physically and socially active, and coping healthily with stress can all significantly lower your teen’s risk of developing depression. As a parent, the best way to teach your teen these skills is to practice good habits yourself. When your teen sees you enjoying the positive results of your healthy lifestyle, she’ll want to emulate your success – without you having to lecture her.
- Enforce a regular bedtime. Sleep deprivation is reaching epidemic proportions among teens, with approximately 87% of adolescents regularly getting far less than the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep per night. Because young adults’ brains are still developing, teens are highly susceptible to the effects of poor sleep, which is associated with impaired academic performance and an increased risk of traffic accidents, anxiety, depression, and even suicide. To protect your teen from these undesirable outcomes, set a 10 p.m. bedtime and make sure your teen adheres to it (especially on weeknights). According to the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which tracked the well-being of 15,000 adolescents, teens who go to bed at 10 p.m. are 25% less likely to suffer from depression or suicidal thoughts.
- Emphasize gratitude. Multiple studies have demonstrated a link between gratitude practices and improvements in mental health. Taking five minutes during dinner or family time to ask your teen about the good things that happened during her day will help boost her mood and counteract the effects of negative rumination.
- Remind your child to focus on what she’s good at. Low self-worth is one of the most challenging aspects of depression for adolescents, many of whom already struggle with social anxiety and poor self-esteem. To help your teen see her value, give her specific, sincere praise when she does something well or demonstrates good character.
- Let your teen know you’re there if she needs to talk. Teens often hesitate to share vulnerable emotions with their peers out of fear of looking “uncool,” so your teen may prefer to talk to you – and not her friends – if she’s struggling. Keep the lines of communication open by regularly reminding your teen that she can discuss difficult subjects with you without fear of judgment or ridicule. Similarly, you should encourage your teen to talk about sources of stress in her life, especially if she’s just gone through a major life change, like parental divorce, moving, or switching schools. Stress is a significant risk factor for depression, and adolescents need their parents to teach them how to cope with tension and anxiety.
- Help your teen cultivate a sense of control and autonomy. Depression can make adolescents feel powerless over their own lives, which reinforces a sense of hopelessness. Dismantle this notion by showing your teen how her actions directly drive positive results, e.g., how working hard on a school project led to a good grade.
- Encourage your teen to attend therapy. Because teenagers are often embarrassed to admit they’re struggling, they’re unlikely to seek treatment for depression on their own. If you suspect your teen is experiencing mental health problems, you should bring the subject of therapy up yourself rather than waiting for your teen to do so. Let her know you would fully support her should she decide to pursue counselling, then review the benefits of therapy with her.
Adolescents are typically more receptive to therapy if they feel in control of the process, so you may also want to reassure your teen that she’ll be allowed to choose her therapist (and change therapists later if she needs to). If your teen is still hesitant to see a mental health professional, offer to let her try a single session before she commits to therapy. Don’t force treatment unless you believe your teen is a danger to herself or others.
If your teen refuses to attend therapy altogether, try talking to an experienced family therapist on your own. He (or she) may have suggestions for how to encourage your teen to seek help or tips to manage her condition at home until she’s ready. Likewise, parents of depressed teens often benefit from receiving mental health support of their own.
Though teenagers face a heightened risk of depression, mental health problems aren’t an inevitable part of adolescence. As a parent, there’s a lot you can do to prevent depression in your child and ensure she recovers quickly if she does become depressed. Remember to stay patient and empathetic with your child – and yourself – as you both work toward a happier, healthier future.
