Signs of Depression in Teens and How to Support Their Mental Health

You may find it difficult to tell whether your child’s low mood is a mental health condition or ordinary emotions associated with puberty. Both can look quite similar at first glance and may be connected in cases, but there are signs you can look out for that indicate it is more likely to be depression.

Real signs of depression in teens will interfere with daily life and go beyond what is normal for teenagers. Let’s explore together some of these emotional, physical, and behavioural symptoms, common causes of depression, and, most importantly, how you can support a teenager who lives with it.

What is Depression?

Depression is a mental health disorder, characterised by persistent low mood and/or emotional numbness. It is more than feeling sad or occasionally detached from your emotions. These are normal human reactions that everyone experiences at times, in response to the ups and downs of everyday life.

Depression is a long-term illness in which the brain doesn’t function in a healthy way, resulting in chronic negativity or numbness even in the context of positive life circumstances. The NHS advises that individuals experiencing depression symptoms “for most of the day, every day for more than 2 weeks” should seek support.

Emotional Symptoms of Teen Depression

The psychological impact of depression in the form of chronic emotional changes may be one of the early signs of depression that you notice in a teenager. Some of these might include:

• Numbness: Words like “empty” and “numb” when describing feelings are a sign that they may have unconsciously dissociated as a protective mechanism against overwhelm.
• Low mood: A sadness that continues to linger regardless of surrounding circumstances.
• Low self-esteem: Confidence dips are normal for teenagers, but if they continuously struggle to recognise their value to the point of harsh self-criticism, it could indicate something deeper.
• Irritability: Disproportionate and out-of-character frustration directed towards other people (or internalised) that is persistent. They find it hard to return to equilibrium after an outburst.
• Feeling hopeless: A sense of helplessness and the feeling that nothing can or will get better.

Physical Symptoms of Teen Depression

The mind and the body are interconnected. It is not surprising, then, that depression can manifest not only through emotions but also via physical symptoms.

• Sleep issues: Emotional distress can either make it hard to get to sleep or cause oversleeping.
• Gut issues: A lack of diverse gut microbiota can contribute towards depression; related gut issues could include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or even increased bloating and gas.
• Appetite changes: Growth spurts or stress could be the reason for appetite changes. If, however, your child keeps saying they “just aren’t hungry” to the point that they’re losing weight, it might be worth considering whether poor mental health could be to blame.
• Unexplained aches and pains: Headaches or achey muscles that don’t have an obvious cause.
• Low energy: Intense fatigue that isn’t linked to any obvious physical health condition.

Behavioural Symptoms of Teen Depression

Sometimes you may try to ask a young person if something is wrong, only to be met with withdrawal, denial or an emotional outburst.

• Self-medicating: Using brain-chemistry-altering substances like drugs and alcohol.
• Excessive internet use: Bingeing on videos and other online content as a form of escapism.
• Emotional outbursts: Sudden, extreme, and seemingly unprompted outbursts of crying or anger.
• Isolating themselves: Depression can make it feel hard to be around other people, especially if your young person has a fear of being misunderstood – this could lead to them self-isolating.
• Joking about suicide: Using statements like “I’d rather die” or “Kill me now!” even in a light-hearted way can sometimes be an unconscious sign of deeper pain.
• Losing interest: No longer enjoying former activities of interest, whether spending time with friends, playing sports, or enjoying creative ventures.
• Self-harm: Causing self-inflicted injury as a way to “feel something” or release difficult emotions.

Triggers for Teen Depression

The causes of depression and other mental health problems can be complicated and myriad. Like with any illness, it is usually not a single issue that triggers teenage depression.

Grief

The teen years are often one of the first times that a person experiences significant grief, whether through the loss of a loved one like a grandparent or due to a major life change like moving school. Usually, the intensity of grief-related depression passes within a few months, but in some cases it has been known to trigger mental health crises.

Bullying

A meta-analysis from the National Library of Medicine discovered that there is a “significant correlation” between bullying and depression in young people. This is unsurprising, given the emotional and/or physical distress that bullying causes to those on the receiving end.

Family history

One potential cause of a downswing in your child’s mental health could be a genetic connection with other family members that have lived with depression. In fact, having a family history of mental health problems is associated with a higher risk of major depression and a greater likelihood of early-onset depression.

High stress

In 2024, the BBC reported that 56% of teenagers are anxious about exams, 34% about social status, and 26% about going to school in general. While some stress is not a bad thing and can be helpful for the development of resilience, excessive stress can have the opposite effect, leading to mood disorders in the worst cases.

Addiction

While many addictions are triggered by a desire to self-medicate, the addiction itself can then become a trigger for ongoing mental health challenges, especially if it causes the user to neglect their physical health. Internet and technology addiction in particular is becoming more prevalent, both among young people and adults.

How to Support Your Young Person’s Mental Health

According to a UK government survey, 36% of young people are concerned about mental health issues; adults have a duty of care to help support that burden. Children and young people have also voiced their difficulty expressing how they feel because they don’t have the words to express it or don’t want to disturb the adults around them.

Encourage a healthy lifestyle.

Unhealthy food, such as ultra-processed “junk food”, is linked to depressive symptoms, according to a 2024 literature review study. By providing Mediterranean foods like fish, vegetables, and healthy fats, you could potentially contribute towards better mental health for your teen.

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) has also noted that exercise (yoga, jogging, and strength training in particular) is an effective treatment option for depression. If they aren’t already engaged in regular physical activity, you can encourage your young person to try one out.

Prioritise sleep hygiene.

Up to the age of thirteen, children need as much as 9-12 hours of sleep every night. Between thirteen and eighteen, they need around 8-10 hours. If not already in place, discuss with your teenager what healthy sleep hygiene looks like and come up with a plan together for how to implement it. This could look like having a family device shut-off time, planning homework earlier in the evening, and encouraging relaxing activities before bed to help them wind down.

Take time to listen.

When you are worried, it is natural to want to find a solution as quickly as possible. Sometimes though, the best thing you can do is to pause and really listen to what your child wants to share with you. While it may not cure the depression, simply talking about how they are feeling can go a long way towards helping your child feel less alone and therefore better supported in their mental health.

Don’t dismiss them.

If your young person comes to you with their mental health concerns, don’t dismiss them. It might be tempting to assume (or hope) that your young person’s low mood is ordinary “teenage moodiness”. While this may be the case, it also may not. And even if they don’t have depression, how they are feeling could be an indication of something else, such as masking undiagnosed ADHD or autism.

Be collaborative.

Like adults, teenagers want to maintain agency over the decisions that impact their lives. They may already have an idea of the kind of support they need (wanting to speak to a psychologist, for example) or they may not know what they should do. Either way, don’t force your views on them. It is your job as their caregiver to collaboratively explore options with them in a way that helps them feel supported.

Instead of: “You think you have depression? There’s a pill for that!”

Try the following: “That sounds really hard. Would you like me to suggest some ways to help you feel better, or do you have ideas of your own I can support you with?”

Seek Mental Health Support

If you are doing everything you can to support your child but feel like you need professional support, adolescent mental health services are available at The Dawn Practice.

Our mental health professionals are experienced in identifying depression symptoms, including being able to tell whether it is a temporary low mood linked to life circumstances or a chronic mental health condition. They can also assist in identifying whether the underlying cause of presenting depression symptoms is related to other diagnoses, such as those related to neurodivergence.

We carefully consider a young person’s situation and collaboratively discuss with both caregivers and the child what treatment options are available.

To make a referral or simply speak to a regulated mental health clinician, contact us today.