Depression in American teens and adults has reached epidemic rates.
Depression statistics by age:
- Adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old had the highest rate of major depressive episodes (14.4%) followed by young adults 18 to 25 years old (13.8%). (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association, 2018)
- Older adults aged 50 and older had the lowest rate of major depressive episodes (4.5%). (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association, 2018)
- 11.5 million adults had a major depressive episode with severe impairment in the past year as of 2018. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association, 2018)
- Severe depression among college students rose from 9.4% to 21.1% from 2013 to 2018. (Journal of Adolescent Health, 2019)
- The rate of moderate to severe depression rose from 23.2% to 41.1% from 2007 to 2018. (Journal of Adolescent Health, 2019)
Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn’t worth living.
More than just a bout of the blues, depression isn’t a weakness and you can’t simply “snap out” of it. Depression may require long-term treatment. But don’t get discouraged. Most people with depression feel better with medication, psychotherapy or both.
For concerned parents it’s important to know the signs and symtpoms of depression. Is your child…
- Feeling sad, hopeless, or irritable often
- Not wanting to do anything
- No longer enjoying things they normally enjoy
- Changes in eating patterns—eating more or less than usual
- Changes in sleeping patterns—sleeping more or less than usual
- Changes in energy levels—being more tired, stressed, sluggish, or tense a lot of the time
- Injuring themselves or displaying destructive behavior
- Having difficulty paying attention
- Displaying signs that they feel useless, guilty, or worthless
Depression is a painful experience that can leave us feeling hopeless, lethargic, overwhelmed, and alone. It can be something that we are biochemically predisposed for or can result from a life experience of loss related to death, divorce, employment, postpartum, or trauma.
We provide a warm, safe space and will partner with you to come up with a treatment plan to alleviate your symptoms as soon as possible. Sometimes medication is necessary to remit depression and we will work closely with your doctor to coordinate care. Depression is both a biochemically based condition as well as a thought based condition. Just like anxiety, we feel our thinking. We will work with you to better understand how your thinking is affecting your emotional experience.
When to get emergency help
If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. If you have a loved one who is in danger of suicide or has made a suicide attempt, make sure someone stays with that person. Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Or, if you think you can do so safely, take the person to the nearest hospital emergency room.