Adolescents are currently facing various issues emanating from political, social, and economic environments, which make their lives more complicated and unique. In the current world, adolescents are highly stressed, making them engage in risky behaviors such as unsafe sexual intercourse and drug and alcohol abuse (WHO, 2020). Moreover, depressed teenagers are increasingly getting pregnant, sexually transmitted diseases, and suffering from eating disorders. This paper will explore the issue of teenage depression.
Teenage depression refers to a mental health problem that leads to sadness and loss of interest in activities among teenagers. It changes how teenagers behave, feel, and think. It also leads to physical, functional, and emotional issues (The National Institute of Mental Health, 2021). Today, teenage depression has become a significant concern. According to WHO (2020), depression is among the leading causes of disability and diseases among adolescents, with one in six teenagers aged between 10 and 19 years suffering from depression. In the United States, approximately 2.7 million adolescents aged between 12 and 17 years reported at least one major depressive episode and severe impairment in 2019 (The National Institute of Mental Health, 2021). Teenage depression is associated with adverse outcomes such as suicide, which is among the leading causes of death among 15-19-year-olds (WHO, 2020). It also impairs both mental and physical health, limiting the opportunity to a rewarding adulthood life.
One of the critical stressors associated with teenage depression is social networks such as peer influence, social media, and friendship pressures. Teenagers tend to have an instinctive urge to create their identity with their age mates and stop relying on their parents. This often leads to inner struggle and uncertainty. Moreover, as the bodies of teenagers develop, they develop the feeling of self-esteem. As a result, the teenagers begin to struggle to portray the idealistic perfection in their lifestyle, body, and socialization as depicted by society, social media, and peers (Rideout & Fox, 2018). This struggle for idealistic perfection is a significant external stressor. Other external stressor is bullying, discrimination, and stigma. These stressors are significant concerns that affect many teenagers. The current rise of social media and the internet has revolutionized bullying, stigma, and discrimination, where bullies conceal their identity while perpetrating these acts to the victims without care.
Teenage depression can be examined through observation of hygiene, level of consciousness, and mood. The best strategy for assessing depression in teenagers is the head-to-toe assessment (Samuels-Reid & Cope, 2019). This assessment involves beginning by evaluating vital signs and ending with neurologic factors. Since depression causes physical, emotional, and functional issues, the nurse should look for any physical abnormality such as mood swings and emotional changes such as the intensity of fear. On the other hand, a Focused Neurological Assessment is necessary to detect any functional issue. It involves assessing the behavior, mood, and capability to dialogue with the assessor.
There are various possible additional assessment questions. The first question relates to self-esteem by determining how teenagers feel about themselves. The assessor should ask whether the teenager has experienced bullying, discrimination, and stigma. Other questions include whether the teenager has encountered failed relationships with peers or family, whether the patient has experienced peer pressure, and whether the teenager has been bullied on social networks. Regarding the ethical parameters of what can or cannot be shared with parents or guardians, it is essential to note that parents and guardians should only be engaged when taking a family history. Consequently, they should leave the examination room to enable the assessor and the teenager to free and direct dialogue and assessment. The assessor should create a positive and open environment that can create an association of trust between the teenager and the assessor. It is also important to uphold the HIPPA provision relating to the privacy and confidentiality of the patient (Lustgarten et al., 2020). However, the teenager should be notified about instances when private and confiden
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