What are the signs and symptoms of adolescent depression?
The American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) defines the symptoms of adult depression as: depressed mood, a decreased interest in normal activities, marked weight loss, alterations in sleeping patterns, restlessness or listlessness, fatigue, feeling worthless or inappropriate guilt, decreased ability to concentrate, or suicidal ideation. A person must display 5 of these symptoms nearly every day for 2 weeks to be diagnosed as depressed (American Psychiatric Association, 1994).
