Diagnose Depression

How to Diagnose Depression in Teens

To diagnose depression for children and teens involves professional counseling, medications, and family education. A combination of these treatments may be needed. It is important that your child establish a long-term and comfortable relationship with the care providers for the treatment of depression. Your child may be diagnosed and treated by more than one health professional, including a:

Pediatrician.
Psychiatrist.
Psychologist.
Family medicine physician.
Physician assistant.
Nurse practitioner.

Professional counseling (or psychotherapy) for depression can be provided by a:

Psychiatrist.
Psychologist.
Social worker.
Licensed mental health counselor.
Psychiatric nurse.

Your doctor or another health professional will evaluate and diagnose depression in your child by asking questions about your child's medical history and conducting tests to determine if symptoms are caused by something other than depression. Your child may be given a physical exam or blood tests to rule out conditions such as hypothyroidism or anemia. Your child may be asked to complete a mental health assessment, which tests his or her ability to think, reason, and remember.

You may be asked to help complete a pediatric symptom checklist, a brief screening questionnaire that helps to diagnose depression or other psychological problems in children. Also, your child may be asked to take a short written or verbal test for depression.

Sometimes a more thorough evaluation may be needed to fully assess your child's depression. Interviews may be conducted with the parents or with other people who know the young person well. Specific information may be obtained from the child's teachers or from social service workers.

There are several types of psychotherapy. Each type involves a short-term, goal-oriented approach aimed at helping you deal with a specific issue. Prolonged psychotherapy is seldom necessary to treat depression. If an underlying factor contributing to your depression is an inability to get along with others or difficulty finding your place in life, then prolonged psychotherapy could help you.

The success of therapy depends on finding a doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist you're comfortable with. Both medications and psychotherapy can take weeks to have an effect. Specialized and supervised group therapy, such as bereavement groups, stress management classes, marital counseling and family therapy, also may help.

Professional counseling for depression may include:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy, which focuses on changing certain thinking and behavior patterns.
Interpersonal therapy, which focuses on social and personal relationships and related problems.
Problem-solving therapy, a type of cognitive therapy that helps you find practical solutions to problems.
Family therapy, which can help educate and comfort the whole family.
Play therapy, for very young children.
Electro convulsive therapy, the procedure may affect levels of neurotransmitters in your brain.
Light therapy, may help if you have seasonal affective disorder.

Education of family members can be provided by a health professional either informally or in family therapy. Some of the most important things family members can learn include:

Knowing how to make sure a child is following a treatment plan, such as taking medication correctly and going to counseling appointments.
Learning ways to reduce stress caused by living with someone who has depression.
Knowing the signs of a relapse and what to do to prevent depression from recurring.
Knowing the signs of suicidal behavior, how to evaluate their seriousness, and how to respond.
Learning how to identify signs of a manic episode, which is a bout of extremely high energy or irritability that is a sign of bipolar disorder.
Seeking treatment if you are a parent with depression.

Home treatment is an important part of treating depression. It includes:

Getting regular exercise, such as vigorous playing, swimming, or walking, to help reduce stress.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet.
Getting enough sleep regularly. (Children and teenagers need more sleep than adults.)
Avoiding the use of alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.

Less than one-third of children or teens with depression receive treatment. This may be due, in part, to the old belief that young people do not get depression or that feeling depressed is normal for their age. Also, teens often do not seek help for depression, because they may think feeling bad is normal, they may blame something else (or themselves) for their symptoms, or they may not know where to go for help.

The type of treatment your child requires depends on whether he or she is having a first episode, the severity of the depression, and issues related to the cause of the depression, such as family conflict or academic problems. If your child is suicidal or is severely depressed and is out of touch with reality (psychotic) or unable to function, a stay in the hospital may be needed.

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