Depression is a common mental disorder worldwide, with more than 300 million people affected. Depression is different from usual mood changes in everyday life. Especially when long-lasting and with moderate or severe intensity, depression may become a serious health condition. It can cause you to function poorly at work, at school and in your family. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide.

As a matter of fact, about 800,000 people die due to suicide every year, which is the second leading cause of death in 15-29-year-olds.

Although there are known, effective treatments for depression, fewer than half of those affected in the world receive such treatments.

Even though depression is a mental illness that will affect more than 10% of the population at some point in their lives, the main causes of depression are yet to be pinpointed. Physical and psychological factors appear to cause depression in adults, teens and children.

There are several biological factors believed to contribute to depression but their exact mechanisms are unclear.

The biological factors that contribute to depression include:

Physical changes to the brain – it is known that some part of a depressed brain show less activity than normal when stimulated.

Neurotransmitters – A central nervous system disruption in serotonin and dopamine are thought to be a direct cause of depression.

Hormones – hormone changes may trigger depression.

Now onto environmental causes of depression.

Death of a loved one – you know when, God forbid, a member of your family dies, you remember the good times you had with them, or they cross your mind and you begin to feel depressed.

Loss of a job – you think about maybe going homeless. How would you support your family?

High stress situations – some situations just have to make you feel depressed, especially family-related.

Now causes of depression are different in men and women. Like for men, it’s more likely to be job-related while women it’s more of their social relationships.

However other causes of depression that appear to be gender-related include:

Pregnancy – up to 15% of women experience after-delivery depression.

Menopause – the changes in hormones are thought to be a cause of depression in women.

Low testosterone levels – men with lower testosterone levels later in life have a greater chance of developing depression.

Now for teens, things get more serious.

Adolescent depression is increasing at an alarming rate. Recent surveys indicate that as many as one in five teens suffers from clinical depression. This is a serious problem that calls for prompt, appropriate treatment. Let’s see some symptoms that may indicate depression.

•             Poor performance in school

•             Withdrawal from friends and activities

•             Sadness and hopelessness

•             Lack of enthusiasm, energy or motivation

•             Anger and rage

•             Indecision, lack of concentration or forgetfulness

•             Changes in eating or sleeping patterns

•             Substance abuse

•             Suicidal thoughts or actions

Now how do you deal depression?

• Try to make new friends. Healthy relationships with peers are central to teens’ self-esteem and provide an important social outlet.
• Participate in sports, job, school activities or hobbies. Staying busy helps teens focus on positive activities rather than negative feelings or behaviors.
• Join organizations that offer programs for young people. Special programs geared to the needs of adolescents help develop additional interests.
• Ask a trusted adult for help. When problems are too much to handle alone, teens should not be afraid to ask for help.

Now if the depression is serious and, if left untreated, can worsen to the point of becoming life-threatening.

Some of the most common and effective ways to treat serious depression in adolescents are:

• Psychotherapy 
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Interpersonal therapy 
• Medication