Depression is the most common mental health problem in the United States. As many as 1 in every 33 children may have depression: and in teens, it may be as high as 1 in 8 (Understanding).True teen depression is often difficult to diagnose because normal adolescence behavior is marked by both up and down moods. Depression can be a transient response to numerous situations and stress. Depression is usually caused by several factors and can be treated. Depression is a serious problem that affects every part of a teen’s life. There are numerous ways that parents, teachers and friends can help teens with depression. They can be supportive, try to communicate with them and to work on the problem. There are many reasons why teens are depressed; they might have family problems, worry about their school work or be bullied at school.
Someone who is grieving over a deceased family member is prone to depression. The obvious challenges that can lead to depression are death of a loved one, friend or pet (Reasons). They feel lonely and miss the person that passed away. They have no idea how to deal with the loss. They look for different ways to deal with their problems and try to forget what happened but don’t know how. They are used to the person being around all the time, and think about the good times they had when the person was alive. Teens usually look for people that they can trust and go to if they need any help, and if that person is no longer there they don’t want anyone else to help them. They feel lonely and don’t let anyone else in. Grieving is allowed to go on for long periods of time, the teen may become vulnerable to depression (Reasons).Emotional experiences are a normal part of growing up and are useful for learning and growth but may also have the ability to cause prolonged sadness and sorrow (Reasons). Depressed teens are usually upset and have no idea how to deal with the pain. They think about the person that was close to them and feel sad or even angry that the person they love is no longer there. They see other people with their love ones and wish that they could have that too. Teenagers deal with pain differently than adults because they feel there is no way out and that the only option is to be sad or angry.
Furthermore, bad school performance is a huge cause of teen depression. A teen may fall in depression if he does not think or feel special in being smart (Causes).Teenagers get a lot of homework and are stressed out about their school work. They worry about their school grades and miss school. They miss school so they can finish their homework or so they can get an extra day to study for a test or a quiz. Some teens don’t want to go to school, and start to miss school daily. They may have no motivation and even become withdrawn, closing their bedroom door after school and stay in their room for hours (Depression). They don’t want to deal with homework or school in general. Some students even drop out because they feel that it’s their only option and that it’s the best way to cope with their problems. They feel lost and miserable about themselves. Students who are not academically good think they cannot be successful in their studies and cannot make their parents happy (Causes). Teenager’s what their parents to be happy and to be proud of them because of their achievements at school. A lot of parents pressure their kids to do well at school. They want them to be lawyers or even doctors. Kids get really stressed out because they want to do well in school so they can please their parents. They want to get into the best college and have good grades. Parents pressuring there kinds to do well in school put a lot of pressure on their kids. Sometimes teens go in to depression because they don’t feel they are good enough. A lot of parent will ignore warning signs of depression and think their behavior is normal to life’s challenges.

In addition, teens who are bullied at school will experience a lot of stress and have a low self-esteem. Victims of bullying may develop a strong sense of worthlessness (Teen). Teens that are bullied at school will feel lonely and have a low self-esteem. They start to change by not eating and sometimes starving themselves. They usually feel bad about themselves and think negative about their appearance. They think that everyone is judging them. In addition, they have a hard time trusting people. Even though they know someone really good they still don’t know if that person is trusted because they are dealing with a lot of pain inside. Teens that have low self-esteem are highly self- critical and feel little sense of control over negative events (Causes). Teens that are victims of bulling will keep everything to themselves. Parents have a hard time understanding why they are acting the way they are. Some teens that experience bulling at school have a hard time opening up and don’t want people to know what’s wrong with them. They don’t want anyone to know what they feel inside. They keep everything to themselves. They hate life and don’t want to attend school. Teens that are dealing with depression because of bulling will usually think negative about everyone and everything.
Teen depression is caused by many factors. Among these are: death of a family member, bad school performance and being bullied at school. Depression can lead to many problems and pain. Depression is the most common mental health disorders in the United States. In addition, as many as 8.3 percent of teens suffer from depression for at least a year at a time, compared to about 5.3 percent of the general population (Teenage). There are many signs of teen depression for example excessive sleeping, change in eating habits, and even criminal behavior like shoplifting are all signs that can help someone recognize a problem(Causes). Some teens start to act differently and have mood swings. They feel sad, angry and have negative outlook on life. Teen depression can affect a teen regardless of gender, social background and race. Teen depression is common and can be treated it just takes time and patients.
Teen depression can be caused by many factors like family problems, school work or being bullied at school. Depression affects a lot of teenagers around the world and causes a lot of pain and stress. People can learn that it’s no easy to deal with depression. It causes many problems and has negative effects on teens. People can learn that depression is a dark place to be at. People can have fun and enjoy life they just have to learn how to deal with certain situations. People that are dealing with tough situations should stay busy and try to forget about the past.