Overview

Depression is a mental health condition that can take the joy from your teen's life. Your teen may seem unhappy all the time and show less pleasure in things they used to enjoy. You may notice that your teen withdraws and no longer enjoys school or friends. Your teen may sleep more or less than usual. They may lose or gain weight. Teens with severe depression may see or hear things that aren't there (hallucinations). Or they may believe things that aren't true (delusions).

Neither you nor your teen should feel embarrassed or ashamed about depression. It's a common condition. It's not a character flaw. And it does not mean that your teen is a bad or weak person.

Depression can be treated. Your teen can get better. Counselling, medicines, and self-care can all help.

How can you care for your teen at home?

Counselling

• Learn about counselling. It may be all your teen needs if they have mild depression.
• Help your teen find the best type of counselling. One-on-one counselling, group counselling, or family counselling may all help your teen.
• Help your teen find a counsellor they can feel at ease with and trust. Some counsellors may be available to meet with your teen on the phone before an appointment is booked so your teen can decide if the counsellor is a good match for them.

Antidepressant medicines

• If the doctor prescribed antidepressant medicines, have your teen take the medicines exactly as prescribed. Make sure your teen doesn't stop taking them. These medicines may need time to work. If your teen stops taking them too soon, the symptoms may come back or get worse.
• Learn about antidepressants, to be able to support your teen.
  • Your teen may start to feel better after 1 to 3 weeks of taking the medicine. But it can take as many as 6 to 8 weeks to see more improvement.
  • Antidepressants may increase the chance that your teen will think about or try suicide, especially in the first few weeks of use. If your teen is prescribed an antidepressant, learn the warning signs of suicide. See the "When should you call for help?" section.
• You and your teen's doctor can help find the best antidepressant for your teen. Your teen may have to try different antidepressants before finding one that works. The right medication is one that helps your teen's symptoms and has the fewest side effects. If you have concerns about the medicine, or if your teen doesn't seem better in 3 weeks, talk to your doctor. They may increase your teen's dose or try a different medication.
• Watch for side effects. Stopping suddenly can make your teen feel tired, dizzy, or nervous. Many side effects are mild and go away on their own after a few weeks. Talk to your doctor if you think side effects are bothering your teen too much. Common side effects are:
  • Nausea
  • Dry mouth
  • Loss of appetite
  • Diarrhea or constipation
  • Headaches
  • Trouble falling asleep. Or you may wake up a lot at night.
  • Weight gain
  • Feeling nervous or on edge
  • Feeling drowsy in the daytime
• Do not let your teen suddenly stop taking antidepressants. This could be dangerous. Your doctor can help your teen slowly reduce the dose to prevent problems.

To help your teen manage depression

• Learn as much about depression as you can.
• Give your teen support and understanding. This is one of the most important things you can do to help your teen cope with depression. Here are some ways you can support your teen:
  • Listen when they want to talk. If you're there to help your teen talk things through, it may help them feel better or encourage them to continue treatment.
  • Avoid giving advice. But gently point out that not everything is bad, and offer hope. Don't tell your teen that they are lazy or should be able to get over it.
  • Keep your relationship as normal as you can, but don't pretend that depression doesn't exist or that there isn't a problem.
  • Ask your teen to do things with you, such as go for walks or to a movie. Encourage them to continue with favourite activities. If they say no, then that's okay. But be sure to ask again in the future. Don't push too much, which may make them feel worse.
• If your teen is going to counselling, make sure they go to all appointments. If your doctor suggests family counselling, be sure you all go together.
• Try to see that your teen eats a balanced diet. Whole grains, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and protein are part of a balanced diet.
• Encourage your teen to get enough sleep. If your teen has problems, you can suggest that they:
  • Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning.
  • Keep the bedroom quiet, dark, and cool at bedtime. You may need to remove the TV, computer, phone, or electronic games from your teen's room to avoid problems with bedtime.
  • Manage their homework load. This can prevent the need to study all night before a test or stay up late to do homework.
• Encourage your teen to get plenty of exercise every day.
• Talk about the effects of alcohol, cannabis, and other drugs, as well as medicines that your doctor has not prescribed. They may interfere with your teen's treatment.
• Work with your teen's doctor to create a safety plan. A plan covers warning signs of self-harm, coping strategies, and trusted family, friends, and professionals your teen can reach out to if they have thoughts about hurting themselves.
• Keep the number for a suicide crisis centre on or near your phone. To find a suicide prevention crisis centre in your province, visit http://suicideprevention.ca/need-help, the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention webpage. If you or someone you know talks about suicide or feeling hopeless, get help right away.

Where to get help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

If your teen talks about suicide, self-harm, a mental health crisis, a substance use crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress, get help right away.

• Call Talk Suicide Canada: 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645 (4 p.m. to midnight ET).
• Kids or teens can call Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868.
• Go to the Talk Suicide Canada website at https://talksuicide.ca or the Kids Help Phone website at https://kidshelpphone.ca for more information.

Consider saving these numbers in your phone.