09/06/2022
Adolescence is a whirlwind developmental period characterized by incredible shifts in biological, psychological, and social experiences. We also know that teens, as compared to younger children, experience higher rates of depression, particularly girls. It can be tricky to understand when your teen’s emotions and behaviors are consistent with healthy adolescence vs when they are trending toward depression. Here’s why:
It is developmentally right on target if your teen wishes for more independence in decision making, wants more time to themselves, has shifting friend groups, confides in friends more than family, is a bit moody and over school, is sleeping less than they should be, has increased exposure to sad personal experiences, is more emotionally impacted by worldwide events, and the list goes on. In many ways, signs of depression often overlap with healthy adolescence—so how can you tell the difference?
Start by asking yourself the following questions:
Have there been significant CHANGES in my child’s mood or behaviors?
Are my child’s emotions and behaviors getting in the way of them LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST?
Teens are also closely monitoring their own mental health. A growing trend is that teens are self-referring to therapy. Many of my patients’ parents have shared that they are initiating treatment because their child has directly asked to be connected with mental health support. What a truly beautiful sign of healthy self-advocacy.
You can always connect with a pediatric behavioral health specialist, like our crew . We’ll help your family to chart the best path forward.
