dom, disruptive behavior, peer problems, increased irritability and aggression (Brown, 1996).What causes a teen to become depressed? For many teens, symptoms of depression are directly related to low self-esteem stemming from increased emphasis on peer popularity. For other teens, depression arises from poor family relations, which could include decreased family support and perceived rejection by parents. Oster and Montgomery (1996), stated that when parents are struggling over marital or career problems, or are ill themselves, teens may feel the tension and try to distract their parents. This distraction could include increased disruptive behavior, self-inflicted isolation and even verbal threats of suicide. Many times parents are so wrapped up with their own conflicts and busy lives that that fail to see the changes in their teens, or they simply refuse to admit their teen has a problem. In todays society the family unit can be quite different from the stereo typical one of the 1950s, where the father went to work and the mom was the homemaker. Today, with single parent families and families where both parents have corporate jobs, the teen may feel he or she is playing second fiddle in importance in the lives of their parents. Also, great stress is placed upon teens today starting in early childhood. Most enter daycare at an early age and continue into preschool. Then when public school starts they are either in the early-morning program, after-school program or just latch key kids. They are left to their own devices at an early age. Many go home to an empty house with no one to talk to about their day at school. Once the parents arrive home it may be time for soccer practice, baseball practice, or gymnastics class. Again no time for talking about the days events and with everyone going in different directions a family dinner around the kitchen table just does not happen. At one end of the spectrum, teens maybe pushed b...
