Title: Why So Many Teens Struggle With Depression - Polaris Teen Center
Headings: How Many Teens Suffer With Depression?
How Many Teens Suffer With Depression?
Why Today’s Teens Are More Depressed.
Teenage Depression Statistics
Symptoms of Depression in Adolescents and Teenagers
Emotional symptoms
Behavioral symptoms
Why Do So Many Teenagers Have Depression?
Treatment for Teenage Depression
Polaris Teen Center

Content: Although the research provides evidence in the form of numbers and statistics, there still remains the question as to why so many teens are depressed today. While there are a wide range of suggestions as to why today’s teens are suffering from depression at an alarming rate, some hypotheses are more agreed upon than others, including: An unprepared generation – some experts believe today’s adolescents and teenagers have been raised to have unrealistic expectations. Whether from media, parents, or teachers, the overwhelming message suggests we should always feel “good” or “happy”, and thus youth are not being taught the necessary coping skills needed during times of increased stress, sadness, or other difficult emotions. Stress – teenagers today seem more stressed out than ever before; and stress is directly related to symptoms of depression. Many factors associated with the modern teen lifestyle may be responsible for the rise in stress including lack of community, social pressures, less family support, less exercise, less sunshine, less unstructured “play” or free time, etc. Technology – smart phones and social media are things that affect teens directly. Using smart phones and engaging on social media are both unique to the current youth generation, and a fundamental change in how they spend their time. The popularization of smart phones in the last decade directly correlates with the reduction in face-to-face time teens spend with one another, and the timeline of the overall decrease in psychological well-being.