By Abdulhafiz Mohammad
Depression is a mental health disorder characterised by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life.
Teen depression is a serious mental problem that causes persistent feelings of sadness or Down syndrome in teenagers. It affects how they think, feel and behave, and it can cause emotional distress. Factors such as peer pressure, academic expectations and adolescents are usually capable of mounting pressure on teenagers. Teenage depression is not a weakness or something that can be overcome by willpower, for majority of teens, it can be overcome with treatment such as psychological counseling and medication.
Some symptoms of Teen depression include a change from the teenager’s previous attitude and behaviour. Depression symptoms may include use of alcohol and drugs, social isolation, self-harm, mood swings, changes in appetite, sleeping too much or making suicidal attempts.
It is advised that as teenagers, whenever we notice these signs, we should seek help by sharing our problems with a responsible person we can confide in. Sometimes, certain problems can be solved or healed just by mere talking to someone. But if the depression signs continue to occur, talk to a doctor or a mental health professional trained to help people in such circumstances, the symptoms likely won‘t get better on their own and may get worse if untreated. There is no specific medical tests that can detect depression so doctors determine if a patient has depression by conducting interviews and psychological tests with the patient and their family.
Research has shown that three in ten Nigerians suffer from one health disorder or another. In Nigeria, an estimated 20-30 percent of our population is believed to suffer from mental health disorders. Unfortunately, the attention given to mental health disorders in the country is inadequate.
Depression can get better with the right therapy but only get worse if not treated. As a parent, if you think your teen is depressed, talk with them and let them know you want to understand what they are going through. Schedule a visit with a doctor to check for depression, if your teen is depressed the doctor can tell you what to do to help so that the percentage of depressed teens growing will lessen and eventually disappear.