Most Parents Struggle to Spot Depression in Teens

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on HealthDay.

Most American parents say they might have trouble distinguishing between a teen's typical mood swings and possible signs of depression, a recent survey finds.

The nationwide poll of 819 parents with at least one child in middle school, junior high or high school found that while one-third were confident they could detect depression in their children, two-thirds said certain things would make it difficult.

About 30% of parents said their child is good at hiding feelings and 40% said they struggle to differentiate between their child's normal mood swings and signs of depression, according to the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at the University of Michigan.

"In many families, the preteen and teen years bring dramatic changes both in youth behavior and in the dynamic between parents and children," poll co-director Sarah Clark explained in a university news release.

"These transitions can make it particularly challenging to get a read on children's emotional state and whether there is possible depression," she added.

Source: HealthDay
https://consumer.healthday.com/kids-health-information-23/adolescents-and-teen-health-news-719/most-parents-struggle-to-spot-depression-in-teens-752181.html