Teenage DepressionDepression is a huge scourge in the world. The American Psychiatric Association reports that depression occurs if at least 5 of the following symptoms appear for at least 2 weeks: depressed or sad mood, decreased interest in activities that were once enjoyable, weight gain or loss, restlessness or psychomotor delay, fatigue, misplaced. guilt, a lack of concentration, or even recurring thoughts of death. Around 121 million people suffer from some form of depression. Statistics from the Center for Disease and Control Prevention show that about 8.3 percent of adolescents suffer from depression. Although this number seems small compared to that which affects adults, it is important to remember that depression is difficult to accurately diagnose in adolescents because of the many changes they experience during this period of their lives. They are not as mature and do not understand many of the changes they are experiencing. This number may therefore not accurately reflect the true number of adolescents suffering from depression. Depressive disorders in youth include MDD, dysthymic disorder, cyclothymic disorder, bipolar disorder (I and II), mood disorder due to a general medical condition, substance-induced mood disorder , mood disorder not otherwise specified, and depressive disorder not otherwise specified (Hamill -Skoch, Hicks, Prieto-Hicks, 2012). This article will discuss the causes, symptoms, and effects of treatments for adolescents facing depression. The cause of depression is controversial. Some think it's biological and others think conditions such as a lack of social skills contribute to the onset of depression. Many studies show that when parents...... middle of paper ......cks, P. and Prieto-Hicks, X. (2012). The use of cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of resistant depression in adolescents. Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics, 3, 95+.King, KA and Vidourek, RA (2012). Depression and suicide among adolescents: effective strategies for prevention and intervention. The prevention researcher, 19(4), 15+. Lamarine, RJ (1995). Depression in children and adolescents. Journal of School Health, 65(9), 390+. Melinda Smith, MA, Lawrence Robinson, Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., and Damon Ramsey, MD. Help guide. February 2014. The real deal. (Statistics). (2001, September-October). Psychology Today, 34(5), 16. Yapko, M.D. (1997, May-June). The art of avoiding depression. Psychology Today, 30(3), 37+. Zack, S., Saekow, J., & Radke, A. (2012). Treating adolescent depression with psychotherapy: the three Ts. Psychiatric Times, 29(11), 36-38.