Though depression can be considered as a normal human emotion, it can also be a state of mental health illness.  Teen depression affects at least 5% of the general population at any given point of time. Depression among adolescents may be difficult to identify. Sulkiness, irritability, antisocial behavior, negativity and withdrawal are often seen to go hand in hand as they grow. Teen depression often starts from homes. It tends to run in families often as a hereditary character. Teenage girls are at especially high risk, as are minority youth.

Since the past 50 years or so, depression has become more common and is now recognized at increasingly younger ages. The rate of rise in teen depression has alarmingly raised the teen suicide rate too. It is important to understand that the behavior of depressed adolescents differ from that depressed adults. The reasons for depression can vary from adolescent to adolescent. Often, depression results from a combination of factors: Depressed children believe that happiness is achieved through fame, money and beauty.

Even though as in most cases of depression, the actual causes of teen depression may be unknown, some of the possible reasons or sources could range from childhood or early trauma, stress, hormonal activities during puberty, physical illness and allergies, under nutrition, heredity and drug abuse.

Symptoms of teen depression often appear as a part of day to day routine and might be difficult to identify. The usual symptoms shown would be through low level academic performances, change of personal appearance, defiance, loss of appetite, restlessness, excessive agitation or even lethargy in some cases and a feeling of guilt. Depression may be indicated if an adolescent experiences an unusual degree of the following symptoms:

The best mode of treatment for teen depression would as in most cases, is, a combination of medication with other forms of non invasive therapies. Group therapy, family therapy, physical exercises, cognitive behavioral therapy etc helps build up the thinking and other psychological process. Recommending a child or teenager immediately to any physician has its own draw backs too. It can put the child into a negative frame of mind and can react unfavorably. Medication and hospitalization should be under very efficient and competent medical supervision.

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