Mood Disorders in Adolescents

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses mood disorder among the adolescent population and explains that stressful life events, added to the pressures of school work, social life, and parental interactions, can cause the hormonal changes taking place in an adolescent's body to result in an organic mood disorder. The paper discusses the symptoms of depression and focuses on suicidal tendencies that are a common symptom of teenage depression. The paper also looks at the treatment options available, which include simple lifestyle changes, antidepressant medications and non-pharmacological methods of family counseling and one-on-one counseling.

From the Paper:

"A report issued by the American Surgeon General (nd) lists major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder and bipolar disorder as the most frequently diagnosed mood disorders among the adolescent population. Mood disorders are strongly correlated with suicidal ideation and behavior in the general population, but among the teen community risk for suicide increases. The Surgeon General (nd) calls suicidal behavior a "matter of serious concern" and notes that "incidence of suicide attempts reaches a peak during the midadolescent years, and mortality from suicide, which increases steadily through the teens, is the third leading cause of death at that age." Therefore, parents, educators, and clinicians need to understand the causes and warning signs that may predict suicidal behavior."

Sample of Sources Used:

• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (2008). Teen suicide. Retrieved June 23, 2008 from http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/teen_suicide
• Arkowitz, H. & Lilienfeld, S.O. (2007). Can antidepressants cause suicide? Scientific American. Retrieved Jun 23, 2008 from http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=can-antidepressants-cause
• Blackman, M. (1995). You Asked About... Adolescent Depression. In The Canadian Journal of CME May 1995. Retrieved June 23, 2008 from http://www.mentalhealth.com/mag1/p51-dp01.html
• Counseling Services at the State University of New York: Buffalo (2008). Suicide: What it is and what to do. Retrieved June 23, 2008 from http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/suicide.shtml
• National Association for the Mentally Ill. Cited on "Neurobiological Brain Disorders: Does my Child Have One? Knowing When to Seek Help." Retrieved June 23, 2008 from http://www.mhsanctuary.com/borderline/brain.htm

More papers on Mood Disorders in Adolescents:

• Essay # 137262 : "Mood Disorders: Major Depressive Disorder"
• Term Paper # 117850 : "Bipolar Disorder in Children"
• Research Paper # 118051 : "Mood and Personality Disorders"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: