Adolescent Depression

Adolescent Depression
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Adolescents face developmental problems that lead to stress. They include developing bodies associated with puberty, peer pressure, variations in levels of hormones in the body and many other factors surrounding their lives as teenagers. It is a problem that can result in social isolation that can create personal life problems, disruption of social life at home and school and can also lead to family problems. Adolescent depression is a very serious condition because it is a real medical problem and in worst case scenarios it can result in suicides. Symptoms of adolescent depression include changes in appetite that can lead to changes in weight, sadness, irritability, feelings of helplessness, worthlessness, and guilt, decrease in energy, worsened school performance disrupted social life among many others (Adolescent Depression, 2018).
Prevention of adolescent depression is paramount in the society, and it may include primary methods such as educating them about depression, causative factors and the risks involved. It can also include the development of methods to decrease stress such as the development of a positive environment. Secondary prevention methods involve the development of early warning systems such as teaching parents about depression and educating them on early signs. It is the more proactive approach for parents and other family members to avoid more significant problems associated with depression. The tertiary method can be used when an adolescent is already affected, and there is need of consultations from a medical expert on the matter (Pract, Cheung, Ewigman, Zuckerbrot, & Jensen, 2017).

There is also the need for both community and state resource for tackling the issues of adolescent depression. They include community facilities with comprehensive behavioral care for members of their community, accessible hotlines for seeking assistance in the form of information, and counseling, and other community institutions with mental and substance abuse services for adolescents. State resources include government facilities with advanced expertise on the issue (Pract, Cheung, Ewigman, Zuckerbrot, & Jensen, 2017).
A nursing intervention represents a professional approach to the problem of adolescent depression, and it may include assessing and analyzing the case to establish the problem. The first step of intervention should be to educate and teach them about depression regarding the signs, the causes and the risk factor. It may also include information about their medical history. The next is to use the necessary information about the patient and develop an effective treatment plan. The last step is the development of a plan for safety (Pract, Cheung, Ewigman, Zuckerbrot, & Jensen, 2017).

References
Adolescent Depression: Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis. (n.d.). Retrieved 2018, from https://www.healthline.com/health/adolescent-depression#symptoms
Pract, J. F., Cheung, A., Ewigman, B., Zuckerbrot, R. A., & Jensen, P. S. (2017, August 16). ADOLESCENT DEPRESSION: Help your patient emerge from the darkness. Retrieved from https://www.mdedge.com/jfponline/article/66237/mental-health/adolescent-depression-help-your-patient-emerge-darkness