Depression in teens and young adults

Depression is different from day-to-day sadness. It can be a serious illness. It is normal to feel sad at times in response to hard situations in life.

Depression is when you have persistent feelings of sadness, a loss of interest or pleasure in activities, or significant changes in thinking, sleeping, eating and daily functioning.

Depression can cause people to:

• change how they feel
• change how they think
• struggle with everyday things like going to school or work, or seeing friends
• stop wanting to do things they usually enjoy
• be irritable or angry.

The signs of depression may often be overlooked in rangatahi. They can be thought of as 'just part of growing up'. Some rangatahi may miss out on help because of this.

Depression

Where to get help for mental health

A low mood is common in rangatahi. It can be caused by a range of reasons, including:

• relationship challenges, including bullying or peer pressure
• going through major life changes — for example, changing schools and changing friendships
• experiencing stress and having difficulty managing it
• a family history of depression
• alcohol and drug use
• having experienced trauma, such as a significant injury or accident, or abuse
• social media and internet content.

Rangatahi are often not good at expressing how they feel. So, depression can show itself in a variety of ways, such as:

• being angry or irritable
• withdrawing from activities
• having sleep problems
• having physical complaints, such as headaches and sore stomachs.

Rangatahi need to be aware of lifestyle choices that can make depression more likely for them.

Lifestyle imbalances may go hand in hand with stress that rangatahi find overwhelming. Ongoing stress or relationship problems can also be difficult. They may lack the skills to work through these issues and find solutions.

The support of parents, whānau and caregivers is essential to the wellbeing of rangatahi.

If you are worried about a whānau member or friend, try to get them to talk to someone who can help. Their healthcare provider is a good first choice. Other people who can help include:

• school counsellors
• nurses
• youth workers
• trusted whānau members.

Offer to go to the appointment with them for support.

Supporting someone — Depression.org.nzexternal link

When rangatahi have depression, they do not always ask for help. They may even refuse help at times when you can see they need it.

You can support them and help by:

• taking their depression seriously
• taking all talk about suicide seriously and seeking immediate help
• showing them that you offer them unconditional love and support
• listening and encouraging rather than talking and nagging
• noticing and encouraging the things they do that will help them
• remembering that even if it does not seem like it, your relationship with this person is important, and they need you
• understanding your own views about mental health and learning about misconceptions and myths
• trying to keep an open mind — something must be wrong for them to react like this.

It is also important for parents, caregivers and whānau to look after themselves. If you need help with supporting your rangatahi, talk to:

• your partner
• friends
• your healthcare provider.

You can also call:

• Youthline — freephone 0800 376 633 or free text 234
• Depression Helpline — freephone 0800 111 757 or free text 4202

Depression is a treatable illness and is much easier to manage if it is dealt with early. It helps to understand what causes it so you can find ways to get through.

Different types of treatment for depression may include a combination of

• self care strategies
• medication
• psychological treatment and talking therapies.

Your healthcare provider is a good place to start if you think someone you love might have depression.

They may give you a range of things to try. Rangatahi will be able to do some of these by themselves. But some may require help from a therapist or other mental health professional.

Your healthcare provider may prescribe an antidepressant medication. This needs to be carefully monitored in rangatahi. This is because they can cause depression to get worse, especially in the first few weeks of treatment. These side effects often pass as the body adjusts to the medication.

Antidepressants

You can improve depression by looking after yourself. Ways to do this include:

• keeping physically active and getting outside
• getting enough sleep
• eating well
• having a good routine and structure to your day — get involved in something that feels meaningful to you
• doing things that help you relax and have fun
• staying socially connected
• having a healthy social media life — set limits, take breaks and think about the content you are viewing
• stop drinking alcohol or using drugs, as they can make you more depressed.

By law, a school counsellor or healthcare provider must respect confidentiality when working with rangatahi. The exception is when there is a concern that a person may be at risk, for example, of suicide or serious harm.

They may recommend that a support person also comes to appointments. It is useful for rangatahi to have another set of ears to hear what help is suggested.

At your first appointment, rangatahi might discuss:

• who they want to know about their treatment
• what they want them to know.