Know the Facts

What is depression?

Depression is a problem many teens face that often disguises itself as normal “mood swings” due to puberty or teenage development. Therefore, it is often ignored until something more serious happens, like a suicide attempt, self-injury or a serious risk taking behavior that gets the teen in trouble. If you think your teen is depressed, do not ignore your observations. There are things you can do and steps you can take that will help your teenager overcome depression. If it turns out it was normal teen behavior, you have shown you cared enough to check it out.

Did you Know?

In the U.S., one in 20 teens have moderate to severe major depression (NIMH, 2007).

Depressed young adults are more likely to begin using illicit drugs (SAMHSA, 2007).

Depression in adolescence frequently co-occurs with other disorders such as anxiety, disruptive behavior, eating disorders or substance abuse. It can also lead to increased risk for suicide (NIMH, 2008).

Suicide is the third leading cause of death in young people ages 15-24. Nearly 5,000 teens commit suicide every year (CDC, 2007).

The rate of male to female suicides is four to one. However, young women attempt suicide twice as often as young men (NIMH, 2008).

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