2007). A teenager who uses drugs or alcohol as escape mechanisms might need to cease their addictive behaviors before symptoms are relieved, because some drugs and alcohol exacerbate pre-existing depression and increase the risk of suicide (Van Voorhees 2007).
Van Voorhees (2007) also points out that some physical illnesses can create symptoms that mimic depression and so doctors should perform a litany of blood tests to make more accurate diagnoses of depression. Some physiological diseases can cause cognitive or emotional impairment. Leaping into a situation in which an adolescent is labeled as being mentally ill can have a deleterious effect: creating an even lower sense of self-esteem and a bleaker outlook on life than the teenager already has.
The medications most commonly prescribed to teenagers diagnosed with clinical depression include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) like Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft. Antidepressants are not "miracle cures" and as many as one in every three persons in the general population taking antidepressants does not experience any symptom relief (Smith, Jaffe, & Segal 2007). Moreover, Smith, Jaffe & Segal (2007) point out that SSRI antidepressants might yield unwanted side effects like "increased hostility, agitation, and anxiety." Commonly experienced physical side-effects include nausea, insomnia, fatigue, and headaches (Smith, Jaffe & Segal 2007). An older class of antidepressants called tricyclic antidepressants work not just on limiting serotonin reuptake but also norepinephrine and dopamine and so side-effects may be even more severe than those experienced when taking SSRI antidepressants. Because their effect on the teenage brain could be severe, the tricyclic class of antidepressants have not been approved for adolescent patients (Van Voorhees 2007). A third major class of antidepressants include Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MOAIs), which are correlated with even more severe side effects than tricyclic antidepressants.
Non-pharmacological methods of treating depression in teenagers includes family counseling and one-on-one counseling. Family counseling is usually helpful for placing the adolescent's behavior in context, revealing possible root causes for the onset of the illness and pointing to possible long-term solutions that involve core changes to lifestyle and parent-child interaction. Often parents hasten a diagnosis of depression for their teenage child without taking responsibility for their role as primary caregivers. Family counseling can help parents see where they might be neglecting their teenagers'...
Teen Depression Stress and modern life are far more ingrained in modern culture, often causing a greater preponderance of mental disorders in almost all population dynamics. The teen population is not eliminated as a candidate for a disorder just because they may be young. In fact, mental disorders affect 1 in 5 teenagers. The prevalence of mental disorders in this population should encourage an abundance of treatment programs, but sadly, this
Depression and Teen Violence Few issues in society transcend all economic, educational, ethnic, gender, intellectual, occupational, political, religious, sexual, and social boundaries. Depression and teen violence are two such issues, impacting every individual as well as society at large, both directly and indirectly. While the causes and symptoms associated with depression and teen violence are well-known, doctors and researchers have yet to develop and implement a clear, uniform, tried and proven
Adolescent Depression The Family and Teen Depression Treatment Options for Teen Depression Adolescent Depression and the Family Teen depression is a serous condition that has been largely ignored until recent events in the media focused more attention to the seriousness of the problem. This research examines the attitudes and past research concerning teen depression. It examines past attitudes and clinical treatments of the past. Many of these ideas and treatments have been found
& Naugle, A. (2008). Intimate partner violence theoretical considerations: Moving towards a contextual framework. Clinical Psychology Review, 28(7), 1096-1107. Eckhardt, C.; Jamison, T.R. & Watts, K. (2002). Anger Experience and Expression Among Male Dating Violence Perpetrators During Anger Arousal. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 17(10), 1102-1114. Eckhardt, C.; Samper, R. & Murphy, C. (2008). Anger disturbances among perpetrators of intimate partner violence: Clinical characteristics and outcomes of court-mandated treatment. Journal of Interpersonal
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Suicide involves the taking of one's own life. As articulated by a prominent suicidologist: "the common stimulus to suicide is intolerable psychological pain. Suicide represents an escape or release from that pain." (Suicidology.ORG, 2003) It defines suicide rates as: (number of suicides per group/population of group) x 100,000. The AAS list suicide as the 11th highest cause of death -- cardiovascular disease being the first; homicide however, ranked 14th. 1.2%
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