Depression in Children and Adolescents.
Depressive disorders have an effect on both the functioning and adjustment of young people. Among children and adolescents, depressive disorders increase the risks of illness and interpersonal problems long after the depressive episode has been resolved ("Depression in Children and Adolescents"). Because of the problems with depression going unrecognized, the chance of suicide is increased between the ages of nine and 17. This disorder often goes unrecognized because of the children's age. The health care professional, teachers and parents alike "label" the adolescents, stating that it is just a stage that each child goes through, or that it's the "age.".
A number of studies have reported that up to 2.5 percent of children and up to 8.3 percent of adolescents in the United States suffer from depression ("Depression in Children and Adolescents"). Research also indicates that the onset of depression is occurring earlier in life than ever before. Depression can lead to failure in school, causing lower grades and discipline problems. The adolescents tend to have trouble relating to others, resulting in trouble making friends or even the loss of longtime friends, abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs, and in more drastic cases, suicide.