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Principal Causes of Adolescent Depression - As noted, teen depression is difficult to diagnose at times because it is so imitative of many normal adolescent reactions and behaviors. Teen suicide, typically arising from depression or depression related pathology, is the third leading cause of death for young people aged 15 to 24 and the fourth leading cause of death for persons between the aged of 10 to 14. Although the suicide rate among youth significantly decreased in the mid-1990s, suicide deaths in the United States remain high in the 15-24 age range, making it the one of the highest rates globally ("Suicide -- Fact Sheet," 2008). Only accidental deaths and homicide follow it. Some experts believe that many "accidental" deaths are actually suicides coded incorrect, perhaps to spare families already in turmoil. 27% of high school students have thought about suicide, 16% had a plan, and 8% made an attempt. Suicide affects teens of all races and social standing, although males have a higher success rate (78-90%) and typically use firearms, while females tend to try poison or sleeping pills. Over the past 15 years, for instance, the suicide rate among girls has scarcely changed, while the rate among boys has tripled. Also, the rate among non-white males, even thought it is still lower than the white male rate, has been rising most quickly of all ("Youth Suicide Fact Sheet," 2008). Suicide remains the second leading cause of death among whites after accidents and the third among blacks after homicides and accidents. Teen suicide is now considered a national mental health problem, and one of the fastest growing killers of youth in America, something that must be addressed consistently and actively.

There are numerous cultural and sociological factors that seem to lead contemporary teens to become so depressed they move towards considering suicide. Certainly the cultural environment for teens has changed over the last 15 years, which would correlate with the CDC's reports tracking teen suicide as a pandemic. And, the American Psychiatric Association issued a recent report that indicated a decrease in antidepressant prescriptions to minors of just a few percentage points coincided with a 14% increase in teen suicides -- and in the Netherlands, also facing a similar pandemic, the suicide rate was up 50%, upon prescription depression medication drops. Studies run by the Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network suggest that even prenatal hazards increases the risks for teen suicide. Mothers of the potential suicides received less prenatal care and were more likely to smoke cigarettes and take alcohol during pregnancy. "Findings in [. . .] adolescent suicide and suicide attempts include abnormally low levels of serotonin metabolite 5 HIAA; reduction in presynaptic 5HT receptor density; increase in post synaptic 5HT receptor density"(Cohen, et.al., 1988). Suicide is a genetically influenced. It may be the result of an underlying personality or predisposition to mental illness that is inherited. One other cause is the imitative thinking still manifest in youth. After a film or news story on suicide is shown, suicide rates tend to go up (Symanski-Sanders, 2006).

The major causes of depression related