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Coping and support

By Mayo Clinic staff

Managing Depression

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Showing interest and the desire to understand your teen's feelings lets him or her know you care. You may not understand why your teen feels hopeless or why he or she has a sense of loss or failure. Listen to your teen without judging and try to put yourself in his or her position. Help build your teen's self-esteem by recognizing small successes and offering praise about his or her competence.

Encourage your teen to:

  • Make and keep healthy friendships. Positive relationships can help boost your teen's confidence and stay connected with others. Encourage your teen to avoid relationships with people whose attitudes or behaviors could make depression worse.
  • Stay active. Participation in sports, school activities or a job can help keep your teen focused on positive things, rather than negative feelings or behaviors.
  • Ask for help. Teens may be reluctant to seek support when life seems overwhelming. Encourage your teen to talk to a family member or other trusted adult whenever needed.
  • Have realistic expectations. Many teens judge themselves when they aren't able to live up to unrealistic standards — academically, in athletics or in appearance, for example. Let your teen know that it's OK not to be perfect.
  • Simplify life. Encourage your teen to carefully choose obligations and commitments, and set reasonable goals. Let your teen know that it's OK to do less when he or she feels down.
  • Structure time. Help your teen plan activities by making lists or using a planner to stay organized.
  • Encourage your teen to keep a private journal. Journaling may help improve mood by allowing your teen to express and work through pain, anger, fear or other emotions.
  • Connect with other teens who struggle with depression. Talking with other teens facing similar challenges can help your teen cope. So can learning skills to manage life's challenges. Local support groups for depression are available in many communities. And support groups for depression are offered online, but check them out to make sure they're credible and trustworthy sites. Good places to start are the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.
  • Stay healthy. Do your part to make sure your teen eats regular, healthy meals, gets regular exercise and gets plenty of sleep.
Prevention Alternative medicine
References
  1. Depressive disorders. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Sept. 13, 2012.
  2. Adjustment disorders. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Sept. 13, 2012.
  3. Depression. National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/index.shtml. Accessed Sept. 14, 2012.
  4. A family guide: What families need to know about adolescent depression. http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Child_and_Adolescent_Action_Center&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=24806. Accessed Sept. 14, 2012.
  5. FAQs on child and adolescent depression. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. http://www.aacap.org/cs/child_and_adolescent_depression_resource_center/faqs_on_child_and_adolescent_depression#What%20causes%20depression%20in%20children?. Accessed Sept. 14, 2012.
  6. Overview of treatment for adolescent depression. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 14, 2012.
  7. Depression in adolescents: Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 14, 2012.
  8. McCaffrey R, et al. Garden walking and art therapy for depression in older adults: A pilot study. Research in Gerontological Nursing. 2011;4:237.
  9. McDowell AK, et al. Practical suicide-risk management for the busy primary care physician. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2011;8:792.
  10. Understanding major depression. National Alliance on Mental Health. http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?section=Search&Template=Search/SearchDisplay.cfm. Accessed June 20, 2012.
  11. Schreiber J, et al. Suicidal ideation and behavior in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Sept. 14, 2012.
  12. Carpenter DJ. St. John's wort and S-adenosyl amethione as "natural" alternatives to conventional antidepressants in the era of the suicidality boxed warning: What is the evidence for clinically relevant benefit? Alternative Medicine Review. 2011;16:17.
  13. Understanding suicide: Fact sheet 2012. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pub/Suicide_factsheet.html. Accessed Sept. 14, 2012.
  14. When you fear someone may take their life. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. http://www.afsp.org/index.cfm?page_id=f2f25092-7e90-9bd4-c4658f1d2b5d19a0. Accessed Sept. 14, 2012.
  15. Cizza G, et al. Clinical subtypes of depression are associated with specific metabolic parameters and circadian endocrine profiles in women: The power study. Plos One. 2012;7:e28912. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0028912. Accessed June 19, 2012.
  16. Pae C, et al. Atypical depression: A comprehensive review. CNS Drugs. 2009;2:1023.
  17. McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment. 51st ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=13381. Accessed June 20, 2012.
  18. Parker G, et al. Will a new genotyping test help the clinician predict response to antidepressant drugs? Australasian Psychiatry. 2010;18:413.
  19. Hourani LL, et al. Influence of spirituality on depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicidality in active duty military personnel. Depression Research and Treatment. 2012;2012:e1. http://www.hindawi.com/journals/drt/2012/425463/. Accessed Aug. 28, 2012.
  20. Depression and complementary health practices: What the science says. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Dec. 2011. http://nccam.nih.gov/health/providers/digest/depression-science.htm. Accessed May 10, 2012.
  21. Croarkin PE (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 3, 2012.
  22. Olsen MW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 6, 2012.
  23. Hall-Flavin DK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 8, 2012.
  24. Marchand WR. Mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, and Zen meditation for depression. Journal of Psychiatric Practice. 2012;18:233.
  25. Tanyi RA, et al. The effects of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) based lifestyle intervention in modifying the progression of depression in clinically depressed adults. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine. 2011;42:151.
  26. Wu J, et al. Acupuncture for depression: A review of clinical applications. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 2012;57:397.
  27. Chi J, et al. Tai chi and reduction of depressive symptoms for older adults: A meta-analysis of randomized trials. Geriatrics & Gerontology International. In press. Accessed Aug. 28, 2012.
  28. Chan MF, et al. The effectiveness of music listening in reducing depressive symptoms in adults: A systemic review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2011;19:332.
  29. Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Sept. 24, 2012.
DS01188 Nov. 7, 2012

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