Depressed Teen
by Sierra Sparks, MFT on 04/14/17
Research shows that 10-15% of teens report to being depressed. When looking into depression researchers discovered that the majority of adolescents reporting that they were depressed said that the number one reason was because of a parental conflict. Also, divorced parents who are still fighting have the highest rate of depressed children (18%).
Parenting is not easy and children who are depressed can be even more challenging to parent. For example, males tend to show their depression in the form of anger and this can create a vicious cycle of argument in the family dynamic.
What can you do as a parent? Talk about it. Just the simple gesture of showing that you care and are concerned can help alleviate your teens depression. Leave open room for communication and be non-judgmental. It is not helpful to minimize the experience of your teen (for example, “it’s not that bad” or “you’ll get over it” or “you’re fine). Also remember that you can validate feelings without validating the behavior (for example, “you must feel really sad but I’m worried that you are cutting”).
Seek counseling. Whether it is for your teen or your marriage (in the case of conflict), counseling offers a safe place to discuss feelings and thoughts without judgment.