1. Adolescent Depression & Anxiety
What Parents Need to Know
Presenter: Megan Propps, Licensed Professional Counselor
Healing Tree Counseling

2. Adolescent Depression - Contributing Factors:
Correlated with Anxiety Disorder, Eating disorders, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder
Traumatic event or loss i.e. violence, sexual, emotional, physical abuse
Critical or neglectful parenting
Lack of social skills/learning disabilities
Hormonal changes
Substance abuse

3. Adolescent Depression - Contributing Factors cont’d…
Normal teen stressors
Peer pressures/breakup
Gender or sexual identity/orientation anxiety
Parent conflict due to quest for independence
Failures at school/sports
Feeling little control over stressful events i.e. family discord/poor health of family members
Low self-esteem/sense of worth

4. Symptoms of Adolescent Depression
Negative thinking i.e. seeing most things more negatively/highly critical of themselves or others
Irritability
Less interest in activities that they once enjoyed or looked forward to
Lack of motivation
Feeling low sense of self-worth

5. Symptoms of Adolescent Depression cont’d…
Chronic feelings of unhappiness, worthlessness, and/or hopelessness
Suicidal ideations
Appetite changes/weight gain or loss
Difficulty concentrating and sustaining mental effort
Difficulty making decisions
Mental fatigue
Substance use

6. Symptoms of Adolescent Depression cont’d…
Sleep disturbance or increased sleep/day sleeping
Memory loss at times
Anxiety
Disorganization
Conduct problems, i.e. difficulty following rules/curfew
Isolation from family and/or friends
Personality changes

7. Risks of Adolescent Depression
Suicide/homicide
Family and peer conflict
Substance Abuse
Negative effects on school or sports performance
Aggression or reckless behaviors
Other mental health problems

8. Adolescent Anxiety - Contributing Factors
Correlated with Depression, Eating disorders, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder
Traumatic event or loss i.e. violence, sexual, emotional, physical abuse
Critical or neglectful parenting
Lack of social skills/learning disabilities
Substance abuse
Family history of Anxiety

9. Adolescent Anxiety - Contributing Factors
Normal teen stressors
Peer pressures/breakup
Social Anxiety
Family discord
Parental history of mental health/substance abuse problems
Perfectionistic thinking
Rigid or dichotomous thinking

10. Symptoms of Anxiety Chronic excessive worrying Restlessness
Inability or difficulty calming down
Irritability/sudden anger
Headache/muscle tension/digestive problems
Chest tightening/difficulty breathing
Panic

11. Symptoms of Anxiety Irrational fears/nightmares Sleep disturbance
Avoidance, i.e. places, people, large crowds
Test anxiety
Difficulty concentrating
Disorganized thinking
Sensitivity to sounds, lights, etc.

12. Risks of Adolescent Anxiety
Family/friend discord
School problems/school refusal
Substance Abuse
Other mental health disorders
Self-injurious behaviors
Misdiagnosis
Immune deficiencies

13. Treatment/Prognosis Early intervention is key
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Family Therapy
Parent education and support
Medication consultation
Implementing a self-care plan
Good prognosis for both adolescent Depression and Anxiety

14. References/Resources
National Institute of Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Cleveland Clinic

15. Local Adolescent Counseling Resources
Healing Tree Counseling (540)
Growth Works (540)
New River Valley Community Services (540)

16. Crisis Services Emergency Services/Raft Hotline (540)961-8400
Emergency Personnel, ask for a CIT officer
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: TALK (8255)