PORTFOLIO ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example

The article defines the adolescent depression as a disorder that affects teenagers. According to the author, such a disorder mostly leads to sadness, a loss of self-worth and interest in the activities and discouragement. It further elaborates the different causes and symptoms of depression in teens. Some of these symptoms are loss of but sometimes an increase in appetite, loss of concentration, decision making, fatigue, feeling upset, restless, and irritable, worthless, hopeless, self-hatred, thinking or talking about suicide or death and trouble sleeping.

If the behavior of a teenager changes for more than the period of two weeks, then it is also considered as a symptom of depression. True depression in teens in most of the cases is difficult to diagnose, therefore the author emphasizes to gather the information from friend and family members to identify depression in teenagers. This article doesn’t only throw light on the medication and therapy for treating the depression but it also considers the possible complications and prevention techniques. (Berger) Depression can be a response to many situations factors and stresses.

However, the author argues that in teenagers, depressed mood is common because of the normal process of maturing, the influence of sex hormones and independence or more freedom conflicts with parents. It may be cause of death of a friend or relative, a breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend and failure or poor grades at school. The author considers two mains factors that contribute to the depression in teens, the hormones and social pressures. By explaining the biological and hormonal causes of the problem, the article takes into account the epigenetic approach and by throwing light on the school performance and environmental stress the author takes a socio-cultural approach to this problem.

However, the author did not approach this problem on the basis of other theories