Misdiagnosis of Depression in Adolescents
One of the most missed diagnoses in adolescents is depression. Depression is defined by a six-month or longer period of time during which the person has problems with sleep, appetite, motivation, interest in activities they normally enjoy, and social or family relationships.
Most people think of "sadness" when they think of depression. Many depressed adults do experience a feeling of being sad much of the time. However, among adolescents and younger children, depression often does not appear as sadness--instead it appears as irritability, anger, or defiance. For this reason, these teens are often misdiagnosed as having an oppositional defiance disorder or as simply being "difficult" or moody.
Another problem in identifying depression in teens versus adults is that teenagers often have trouble verbalizing what they are feeling. They may not understand their depression and may themselves think they are just in a "bad mood." When the teen is not diagnosed properly, the problem escalates. They may begin to feel disconnected from their peers and become more and more socially isolated from friends and family. A well-meaning parent may react by telling them to "pull themselves up by the bootstraps," not understanding that they are not able to do this.
As the depression continues to go unrecognized, the teen begins to feel more and more isolated and hopeless, and this is when the risk of suicide becomes greater.
Parents who are frustrated by a seemingly defiant, hostile, and unhappy child should seek out a professional experienced with treating adolescents to assess the possibility that the child suffers from clinical depression.
