Amman-
Adolescent depression is a psychological condition that has its own peculiarity.
The feeling of sadness and indifference to any physical activity that requires effort and challenge prevails, and negatively affects the adolescent’s mental way of thinking and behavior, as well as causes incomprehensible mood swings.
Educators believe that the causes of adolescent depression are due to hormonal or genetic changes in the family history, or the adolescent's exposure to emotional trauma on the emotional level, such as the loss of a parent during childhood or physical abuse that leads to a feeling of helplessness.
Adolescent depression appears in a variety of forms, including: excessive tension when the adolescent faces any challenge, no matter how simple, poor memory, persistent complaints of health and physical problems, and adolescents evading their responsibilities by laziness and sleep due to their unwillingness to interact with others, and these signs are accompanied by disturbances in the general mood. For any daily life activity he deals with, according to educators.
Educators confirm that depression impedes the normal and daily performance of bodily functions, and limits the ability to live in safety. Academic achievement declines, because a healthy mind resides in a healthy body, and because the body complains, the mind is affected by the abnormal behavior. Feelings of helplessness, frustration and tension lead to withdrawal from Study requirements, leaving the required tasks that require high cognitive abilities, as poor memory negatively affects achievement, so there is no motivating task for studying;
The dark feeling of the teenager and his relationships with others.
Adolescent feelings of helplessness, frustration and tension lead to withdrawal from study requirements (Shutterstock)
Not "passing sorrow"
In order to expand on the concept of adolescent depression and its effects, Al Jazeera Net interviewed a consultant psychiatrist, Dr. Ashraf Al-Salihi, who explained that “adolescent depression is a dangerous psychological disorder in which the adolescent feels permanent sadness and the inability to enjoy anything in his life, and his life is affected in social, academic and personal terms.” .
He adds that it is not a "transient sadness", nor is it a "period of passing", but rather a pathological condition that is represented by a group of symptoms that appear together at the same time in the adolescent, including: buried sadness, lack of enjoyment, sleep and eating disorders, feelings of inferiority, negative thoughts, and isolation. Low energy, thoughts of death or suicide.
Teen depression causes feelings of inferiority, low energy, and thoughts of death or suicide (pixels)
environment and genetics
The consultant Al-Salihi explains that depression affects children in the age of adolescence (12-17 years), and before that it is called child depression, and after that it is called adult depression, and its causes are: the environment and genes.
He continues, "Studies on children of identical twins have proven that there is a genetic cause for depression. If a brother suffers from depression, the incidence of the identical twin brother with the same depression is 50-75%, compared to the brother of non-identical twins, which is estimated at 20%."
As for the environmental causes, they may be the result of the wrong education system, or the accumulated social pressures and repeated problems of the parents, or the pressures of study and bullying or the pressures of colleagues, and do not forget also the hormonal changes in the adolescence stage, and the accompanying mood, behavioral, physical and mental changes, according to Al-Salihi.
Dr. Ashraf Al-Salihi: Adolescent depression causes sudden or gradual changes for the adolescent (Al-Jazeera)
Changes in thoughts and feelings
Dr. Al-Salihi states that one of the signs of adolescent depression is sudden or gradual changes in 3 things in a teenager’s life;
Include his thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
He explains that the adolescent’s thoughts “change, becoming negative towards himself, society, and the future, so his self-confidence decreases, doubts about his abilities begin, and he believes that everyone around him is better than him, expects a bad future, and thinks that the world around him does not love him or understand him. His feelings also differ, It becomes melancholy, and he is always sad, and nothing makes him happy, he hesitates a lot in his decisions, isolates from people, and cares less about his cleanliness, and he may become hostile and nervous as well.
Parents should see a psychiatrist immediately if they feel that the adolescent’s condition has become dangerous (pixels).
Contain and listen
Al-Salihi says that the correct behavior for parents is to talk to their teenage children, understand their needs, and accept that they are at a critical stage that is difficult for the children themselves to understand.
"Parents should embrace the adolescent child, listen to him and his fears, discuss his feelings, provide love, support and understanding, and give him a personal space to express his feelings."
Al-Salihi explains that one of the common educational mistakes in dealing with the child is blaming the child and advising him to say “Do not cry,” “Tighten yourself,” and “There is nothing worthwhile” (nothing is worthy). Revise his grades or change his behavior, rather than trying to understand them.
He added, "Some parents may accuse their children of being far from God, and that their religion has weakened, so they are saddened, and they do not realize that by doing so, they are instilling in their child more pain and sadness and turning away from religion, because the child will understand that God does not love him."
Among the complications of depression if the child is not treated, according to Al-Salihi, is his loss of friends, isolation, academic regression due to lack of focus, distance from parents inside the home, aggression and nervous behavior, and thoughts of suicide.
Parents should contain the teenage child and listen to him and his fears (pixels)
Tips for dealing with teenagers
Al-Salhi consultant offers a set of tips for parents in dealing with their teenage children:
Parents should pay close attention to their children in adolescence (12-17 years), and sit with them and ask them about their day, feelings and problems.
Parents should teach their children from their experiences and experiences, and not take it easy by giving them “packaged” solutions, but rather they should teach them how to think about solving problems.
Parents should not delude children that the world is overflowing with butterflies and roses. Rather, they should be given a true and balanced picture of life, that it has difficulties and problems, and that the child needs to be strong in mind and body.
Parents should encourage their children to exercise, form social relationships, and reduce the time they spend on electronic devices.
Parents should see a psychiatrist immediately if they feel that the teenager has become:
intractable;
And that no matter how hard they tried to help him, he was still sad.
dangerous;
If they feel that the teen is contemplating suicide, has stopped eating, or has lost more than 15% of his or her weight in two weeks.
Academically, there is a significant decline.
Become hostile or aloof