There are not many tests on the internet to test adolescents for depression. Depression in adults is different in some aspects when compared to depression in youngsters. It is also more difficult to diagnose depression in adolescents than in adults, as the symptoms can be interpreted differently.
In the teenage years, you are trying to find yourself, and your identity is not yet as strong as it is in adults. You are still looking for who you are and what you want to do in life. In many cases, this search can cause depression to develop. Furthermore, it also often happens that you feel insecure as an adolescent, which makes you extra vulnerable to depression. In short, during the teenage years, it is important to pay enough attention to eventual symptoms of depression.
The symptoms of depression in adolescents
The symptoms of depression in adolescents or youths are as follows:
- Overwhelming negative or somber mood
- Not wanting to laugh anymore, even if something is very funny
- Isolation
- Finding it difficult to channel emotions
- In girls, turning into oneself and becoming very private
- In boys, aggressive behavior, both physically and verbally
- Physical signs such as cutting, self-mutilation
- No future goals anymore
- Suicidal ideation
How do I deal with depression as a youngster?
As an adolescent it is important to quickly and effectively treat your depression, because the depression leaves a scar which increases the chances of depression occurring again. Especially boys are very vulnerable to experiencing recurrent depression.
There are different types of treatment such as medication or psychotherapy. A therapy that has shown to be very effective is cognitive behavioral therapy. To treat more major depressions, it thus is very useful to stop by a psychologist or psychiatrist.
15 Minutes 4 Me developed an online self-help program, based on cognitive behavioral therapy, to make the step to getting help smaller. The program has already shown to be effective in the treatment of minor depressions and it can also be used as an addition to therapy received from a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Depression test adolescents: take the test
To know whether or not you as an adolescent have a chance of developing a depression, you can take the free depression test here, which will tell you to what extent you might experience a depression.
