ession, what can be done about it? Blackman (1995) has suggested two main avenues to treatment: "psychotherapy and medication." The majority of cases of adolescent depression are mild and can be dealt with through several psychotherapy sessions with intense listening, advice and encouragement. Co morbidity is usual in teenagers, and possible pathology, including anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, learning disability or attention deficit hyperactive disorder, should be searched for and treated, if present (Blackman, 1995). For the more severe cases of depression, especially those with constant symptoms, medication may be necessary and without pharmaceutical treatment, depressive conditions could escalate and become fatal. Brown (1996) added that regardless of the type of treatment chosen, "it is important for children suffering from mood disorders to receive prompt treatment because early onset places children at a greater risk for multiple episodes of depression throughout their life span." Until recently, adolescent depression has been largely ignored by health professionals but now several means of diagnosis and treatment exist. Although most teenagers can successfully climb the mountain of emotional and psychological obstacles that lie in their paths, some find themselves overwhelmed and full of stress. How can parents and friends help these troubled teens? In addition, what can these teens do about their constant and intense sad moods? Anyone can be diagnosed with depression it really doesnt matter who you are or where you come from. The first causes of depression are the biological causes, which are thought to be heredity, and physiological disturbance, which currently focuses on the bodys neuro-chemical, endocrine, and limbic systems. Psychological causes are thought to include family origin, which focuses on the general area of personality and its development, and on particular consequences of child rearing. Stress is ano...
