Depression in Adolescence: Girls
Overview & Facts ›› Depression in Children
Before adolescence, girls and boys experience depression at about the same frequency. By adolescence, however, girls become more likely to experience depression than boys.
The symptoms of depression in girls are both psychological and physical. Many parents confuse the way their teen is acting with normal teenage behavior.
Finally, girls may undergo more hardships, such as poverty, poor education, childhood sexual abuse, and other traumas than boys. One study found that more than 70 percent of depressed girls experienced a difficult or stressful life event prior to a depressive episode, as compared with only 14 percent of boys
Teenage girls’ somewhat stronger dependence on social ties, however, can increase the chances of teen depression being triggered by social factors, such as loss of friends.
Learning the clinical signs of depression in teenage girls is crucial for preventing suicide.
Risk factors in determining if an adolescent will suffer from clinical depression provide insight into the symptoms an adolescent girl is experiencing: Genetics, Social awkwardness, Recent traumatic event.
The most effective treatment for adolescent girls suffering from clinical depression is psychotherapy. The most common causes of the depression girls are experiencing are usually a traumatic event or social awkwardness.
The therapist will also provide the clinically depressed girl with coping strategies for her depression symptoms. Therapists teach teenage girls coping skills for traumatic events and social awkwardness as well.
Sources and Additional Information:
http://addiction.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Clinical_Signs_of_Depression_in_Teenage_Girls