Even among mental health professionals, the CDC’s recent news came as a shock. In a study released earlier this month, the agency reported that depression among US teens and adults has increased 60 percent in the last decade — and that young people, ages 12 to 19, were the age group most likely to report current symptoms of depression.
If you’re alarmed by those numbers, you’re not alone. “I’m not surprised that there was a drastic increase [in depression], although I was surprised that it was 60 percent,” Heather Hagen, MS, LMFT, Executive Director of Clinical Outpatient Services at Newport Healthcare tells SheKnows. “Sixty percent was, I think, surprising to most of us in the field.”
According to Hagen, there are a few reasons why depression is increasing among adolescents. “The pandemic certainly exacerbated mental health challenges for many people in the US, especially for our young people,” she said. “Those are social, formative years.” To be isolated from friends in and outside of school contributed to feelings of isolation and loneliness, which are risk factors for depression.
Social media also contributes to loneliness, Hagen says, by decreasing the amount of “meaningful in-person connections” that teens have while encouraging potentially harmful comparisons. Technology also keeps us constantly connected to the news cycle, increasing visibility of global issues. While it’s good to stay informed, we can also “be inundated with all of the heavy things that are going on, inequality and climate change, and all the wars across the world,” Hagen says. Especially for teens who feel they have limited ability to enact change, that can be a heavy burden.
For parents looking to help, one of the first steps is knowing the signs of depression in teens. According to Hagen, these can include:
- Anger
- Irritability
- Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or emptiness
- No longer finding joy in things they enjoy
- Struggling with concentration, making decisions, or remembering things
- Changes in sleep or appetite
- Low self-esteem
- Suicidal thoughts
As a parent looking to help, Hagen has a few recommendations. The first: “Have an open dialogue with your kids and have a strong connection with them,” she says. The idea is to create a relationship of trust and safety with your teen, so they know they can come to you with any struggles.
And, if they do come to you with a problem, your reaction is key. “As parents, we naturally come in as problem solvers,” Hagen explains. But with many kids — and especially with teens — “that’s not always what they want,” she points out. “The majority of the time our kids just want to be heard.” She suggests directly asking your teen how they want your support. “Come from a place of, ‘I’m here for you, and is this a conversation where you want me to just listen, or are you looking for a solution?’”
She also recommends modeling healthy behaviors, like social media or technology boundaries, and normalizing getting help for mental health. “If the child sees you, sees you taking care of yourself and making sure that you have the support that you need, it gives them permission to do the same,” she explains. (PS: Here are tips on how to find a therapist for your teen.)
The most important thing is maintaining that open and honest relationship with your teen. “The number one thing is really about the connection with your children,” Hagen emphasizes, “that they believe that they can come to you regardless of what it is.” And when they do come to you with a problem, asking them whether you should listen or help them fix it — and reassuring them. “Your first reaction is going to be, ‘Thank you so much for trusting me,’” Hagen explains. “‘We can get through this together.’”
If you, your child, or anyone you know is struggling with mental health, depression, or thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Hotline or visit their website for more resources.
Before you go, check out our favorite apps for mental health:
