Worried Your Teen Might Be Depressed?

Common symptoms of depression in teens include:

1. Sadness or hopelessness

2. Irritability, anger, or hostility *

3. Tearfulness or frequent crying

4. Withdrawal from friends and family*

5. Loss of interest in activities

6. Poor school performance

7. Changes in eating and sleeping habits

8. Restlessness and agitation

9. Feelings of worthlessness and guilt

10. Lack of enthusiasm and motivation

11. Fatigue or lack of energy

12. Difficulty concentrating

13. Unexplained aches and pains*

14. Thoughts of death or suicide

Increased irritability or anger, unexplained aches and pains, extreme sensitivity to criticism, withdrawing from some (but not all) people are symptoms that set teen depression apart from adult depression.

Please seek help immediately if you notice the following as they can be warning signs of suicidal ideation:

1. Talking or joking about committing suicide.

2. Saying things like "I am better off dead," "I wish I wasn't here anymore," or "I wish I could disappear forever."

3. Speaking positively about death or idealizing dying. For example saying, " People would notice me if I was dead" or "They would regret that if I killed myself."

4. Writing stories or poems about suicide, death, or dying.

5. Engaging in reckless behavior or having a lot of accidents that result in injury.

6. Giving away possessions that are important to them.

7. Saying goodbye to friends and family as if they will not be seeing them again.

8. Seeking out weapons, pills, or other ways to kill themselves.