{"id":2761,"date":"2015-10-12T11:05:49","date_gmt":"2015-10-12T05:35:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/familife.in\/en\/?p=2761"},"modified":"2016-01-11T14:56:41","modified_gmt":"2016-01-11T09:26:41","slug":"teen-depression-myths-about-medication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/familife.in\/en\/2761-teen-depression-myths-about-medication\/","title":{"rendered":"Teen depression: myths about medication"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Teen

Photo: Imagesbazaar<\/p><\/div>\n

Depression is no more a rare disorder, with an estimated 10 to 15 percent, or one or two out of every 10 teens suffering from it.\u00a0According to a report<\/a>, there is an increase in anxiety and depression in teenagers across Europe, UK and China.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0study<\/a> carried out in India reveals that 3 to 9 percent of teenagers meet the criteria for depression at some\u00a0time, and at the end of adolescence, as many as 20 percent of teenagers report a lifetime prevalence of depression. Usual care by primary care physicians fails to recognise 30-50 percent of depressed patients.<\/p>\n

“I have seen a steady increase in reported cases of depression among students over the past two decades. Part of this rise can be attributed to an increased awareness among students and parents of the importance of recognising and treating depression. A part of the increase is due to increased vulnerability of our youth to stress and the increasing pressures on them to perform upto certain unrealistic expectations in their personal, social and academic lives.” says\u00a0Psychiatrist Dr Rajesh Parikh.<\/p>\n

The good news, however, is that treating teen depression is not just about popping medicines. In fact, medication is usually at the bottom of the list of options that are now available for parents to treat their depressed teens.<\/p>\n

Depression is associated with higher levels of stress, anxiety, and suicide. It can also affect a teen\u2019s personal, school, work, social, and family life, which can lead to social isolation and other problems.<\/p>\n

Dr. Theodore Murray, medical director of Child and Adolescent Intensive Services at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Cambridge, MA, says that talk therapy and lifestyle adjustments are sufficient to treat mild depression. Moderate to severe depression<\/a> require a combination of medication and therapy.<\/p>\n

He explains that concerns of parents, that anti-depressants increase suicidal tendencies and violent behavior, is misplaced. \u201cFor every 150 kids who started an antidepressant, one may have increased thoughts about suicide,\u201d he says. He suggests that parents should have honest conversations with their teen\u2019s doctor before making the decision to avoid medication.<\/p>\n

Symptoms of depression:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n