[C567]Child And Adolescent Depression

Life's pressures continue to rise, we are all suffering from increased levels of stress, this stress is also aflicting our adolescent youth. The following statistics clearly indicate the problem we all face.

Figures never lie and they are perhaps the best means to highlight certain facts and when they are brought to the notice of the general public leave a lasting impression. It is important to gain the attention of all who want to learn about what the statistics are saying. There are no doubts that statistics are nothing more and nothing less than concrete concepts that have the power to sway even the most skeptical of minds, and it will even show the young generation the true picture with respect to adolescent depression.

Twenty Percent Of Teenagers Are Sufferers

This fact alone should shock you as the chances are that you or your family may be affected by these numbers. The statistics relating to adolescent depression is that nearly 1 in 5 of the teenage population in the US has experienced a form of clinical depression, even before having gained full adulthood.

Not only that, but there are about ten to fifteen percents of teenagers that have shown symptoms of adolescent depression and another five percent of the teenage population will have suffered from significant depression.

Another alarming aspect to adolescent depression is the fact that there is little or no social acceptance when it concerns teenagers with depression, and what's worse is the fact that as many as eight percent of these teenagers will have experienced the re-occurrence of their bout of depression at least once a year. Alarm bells should be ringing as only 5% of the total population is diagnosed as suffering from depression.

Frighteningly, statistics suggest that when a teenager suffers a bout of adolescent depression it will generally last for about eight months. These same teenagers are also at risk that a subsequent attack of adolescent depression will strike them within a mere two years and the chances of this happening are about twenty to forty percent, on top of that there is a seventy percent chance that they will experience another attack of adolescent depression before they have even reached full adulthood.

Again another feature of adolescent depression is seasonal depression, quite a few teenagers will suffer from attacks of. his form of depression which is most likely to strike during the winter, it is also found in places of high altitude. The weather can also play a significant part in the onset of seasonal depression, teenagers and their parents should be mindful of this situation...

Finally there are two other disorders that may affect your teenager, dysthymia or a mild form of depression, affecting about two percent of teenagers, that lasts for a considerable time and a like percentage of teenagers are also likely to suffer from bipolar depression when they grow older. According to studies, it is thought that as many as fifteen percent of teenagers who have suffered from major depression will be at risk of developing bipolar depression.

As you can see adolescent depression will affect teenagers no matter their social background, income level, gender, race or even their achievements. Adolescent depression is a very common mental health problem affecting teenagers through out the US.