Teenage depression

Sometimes it's difficult to tell if your child is suffering from teenage angst or is really depressed.

Anyone living with a teenager knows that life is often a rollercoaster of emotional highs and lows. Luckily, most teenagers manage to navigate their way through the stormy waters of adolescence without coming to any harm. But, according to the mental health charity, Depression Alliance, statistics on teenage depression are pretty scary. There are currently more than two million children attending GP's surgeries with various forms of psychological or emotional problems, and more than 19,000 adolescents attempt suicide every year - that's more than one every half an hour.

Coping with life's ups and downs

A recent study by the Mental Health Foundation also found that children today are less resilient and less able to cope with the ups and downs of life, which is no help if you are wondering whether your teenager is really depressed or just suffering from typical teenage angst. "If a young person comes to my surgery saying they can't get out of bed in the morning, feel exhausted and can't concentrate at school I would say they were depressed and need help," says GP Chris Manning, Co-Chair of the Depression Alliance.

Joanne Morgan knows exactly what he means. Last year her fifteen-year-old daughter Mandy dropped out of school. She retreated to her bedroom and lost all interest in life. "She couldn't cope with exams and schoolwork, had no motivation at all and felt tired all the time," says Joanne. "I took her to the GP, who diagnosed depression and put her on a course of anti-depressants, which lifted her mood for a while. But it was really only when she had some professional counselling that she began to work out why she felt so low," explains Joanne.

Anti-depressants for adolescents

Depression in children and teenagers is on a spectrum: mild, moderate and severe. At the lower end of the spectrum, therapy may be all that is required to help a child over a difficult period. Drugs are only normally necessary when depression is so severe that the young person is at risk. Although the new wave of anti-depressants known as SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) are widely used for adults, many doctors are reluctant to prescribe them for adolescents.

Professor Peter Hill, consultant psychiatrist at Great Ormond Street Hospital , thinks doctors are not sufficiently aware that anti-depressants can be extremely helpful. He would not hesitate to prescribe them in serious cases. "If you are faced with someone who may kill themselves in the next 48 hours you have to make tough decisions. There is good evidence that SSRIs are very effective in teenage depression," he adds.

Keep talking

According to experts, the most important thing to do is keep all lines of communication with your child open. Encourage them to share their thoughts and feelings with you, and recognise their concerns without judging them. "Face the problem together and do whatever it takes to get them through," explains Peter Wilson from the children's mental health charity, Young Minds. "Tell them your own experiences of adolescence, so they can see that things can end positively. And, above all never, never underestimate any threats or attempts to hurt themselves," he adds.

How to tell if your child is depressed

According to Young Minds, if your child has experienced three or more of the symptoms below, and has felt this way for more than two weeks, seek help immediately.