Depression information for young people

This webpage provides depression information for young people and teenagers.

The word ‘depression’ gets thrown around a lot, but there’s more to this condition than many people realise. This page will help you find out some more information.

What is depression?

People often use the word ‘depressed’ when they’re talking about moments or periods of time when they’re feeling sad or down. It’s normal to feel down when you’re going through a stressful or difficult time, or the general ups and downs of life. However, if you feel low on more days than not for a few weeks, or if you really aren’t sure why you feel so bad, there might be something more serious going on.

‘Depression’, which is often diagnosed as ‘major depressive disorder’ or ‘clinical depression’, refers to significant feelings of sadness or a low mood that last longer than two weeks and start to get in the way of your everyday life. Depression is a condition that can only be diagnosed by a health professional.

What causes depression?

There is no single cause of depression. It likely develops due to a combination of factors, including life events (such as experiencing violence or losing someone close to you) and biological factors (genetics or hormones).

People affected by depression often experience negative thinking patterns and may stop doing their regular activities, which can make their symptoms worse. In other words, depression becomes a bit of a cycle: your mood is so down, you don’t feel like doing anything, so you stop doing the things you enjoy or that you need to do (such as schoolwork or daily tasks), which makes you feel even worse.

For more information including the signs and symptoms of depression, visit the webpage today.