Signs Your Teen Might be Depressed

1. Sleep disturbance. "Many adolescents sleep until noon on a Saturday, but if you notice a change in their sleep or their sleep is irregular even more than before, that's something to worry about," Dr. Duckworth explains in the video.
2. Social changes. "Adolescents are typically very focused on social connections," he says. "If they're not interested in their social network and they want to quit sports, pay attention to that."
3. Physical symptoms. Some teens demonstrate their emotional distress through physical symptoms, such as headaches, stomach aches, weakness and body aches.
4. Substance abuse. Some depressed teens use drugs and alcohol to change how they're feeling. Abusing drugs and alcohol also increases the risk for depression or worsening depression, leading to a vicious cycle.
5. Safety issues. Any time a teen expresses suicidal thoughts, it should be very taken seriously. "If your adolescent is talking about dying or wishing they were dead, that's something to attend to and to make sure that you seek professional assistance," Dr. Duckworth says.