When your child is struggling with depression, you want to do everything in your power to help and support them. But sometimes, they’ll need more help than you can provide in your own home.

While many teenagers with depression have therapy sessions on a weekly basis, they may benefit from spending an extended period of time with mental health professionals. That’s why a depression treatment center might be the answer.

Read on to learn about the basics of depression, signs that a depression treatment center is the best option for your teen and how they may benefit from receiving this type of structured care.

What is depression?

Major depressive disorder, commonly known as depression, is the No. 1 cause of disability in America for people between the ages of 15 and 44. And while that age range is large, it’s quite common for teenagers to live with depression. In fact, 16.9% of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 have experienced a major depressive episode.

Depression is a mood disorder that causes an overwhelming feeling of sadness and hopelessness. For teenagers, this could hurt their ability to complete their schoolwork, maintain social connections and plan for their future.

Symptoms of depression include:

• Lack of energy and motivation
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Feeling frustrated or irritable without cause
• Reduced appetite
• Anxiety
• Suicidality
• Social isolation

7 signs that a teen may benefit from going to a depression treatment center

A mental health provider may recommend a depression treatment center for teenagers who need extended periods of time to focus on their mental health in a safe environment. 

All symptoms of depression can be concerning to see in a teenager. But they don’t always require admittance to a facility to work on their depression. Depression treatment centers provide care for people with depression who aren’t showing improvement with prescribed medication and therapy. 

Seven signs that your teen may benefit from going to a depression treatment center are:

• Declining grades — Academic success is important for many teenagers. Depression can interfere with their ability to successfully complete assignments, focus during lessons or even show up to class.
• Personal relationship issues — Social, romantic and family friendships play a huge role in a teenager’s personal development. Depression can cause your teen to cut off those closest to them. They can also hurt their relationships due to isolation and unprovoked irritability.

• Disinterest in activities — Hobbies, sports, and extracurricular activities are meant to bring teenagers happiness and fulfillment. If they no longer want to participate in activities that usually bring them joy, their depression may be worsening.
• Safety concerns — Suicidality and self-harm behaviors can be common in severe depressive episodes. If you’re concerned about your child’s safety, take immediate action by calling 911 or proceeding to your nearest emergency room for evaluation and care. If they are not in an urgent crisis, a depression treatment center is an effective option.
• Consistent depressive episodes — Depression episodes last six to eight months on average. If your teen is consistently relapsing into depression without significant gaps in between episodes, a depression treatment center should be considered. 
• Substance use — People with depression, of all ages, may turn to drugs and alcohol to try to “numb” their negative emotions. If you suspect that your teen is using substances, a depression treatment center is an option that can help them find healthy coping mechanisms. 
• Inability to deal with changes — Teenagers can experience many life-changing events including high school graduation, parental divorce or moving to a new place. If these changes have resulted in severe depressive episodes in your teen, a depression treatment center may help.

5 benefits that teens could get from going to a depression treatment center

Depression treatment centers offer a variety of therapies and programs. They can help teenagers tackle their depression through different avenues to give them a safe place to focus on improving their mental health while gaining tools and resources for the future.

Five benefits that teens could get from going to a depression treatment center:

• Personalized treatment plan — No two teenagers are the same, and neither is their depression. A treatment center will design a plan specifically for your teen’s needs based on the symptoms and severity of their depression.
• Creative therapy options — Teens need to be allowed to express themselves. Depression treatment centers offer programs like art therapy to allow people to express their emotions in a creative way.
• Relaxing practices and exercise — Depression can make it difficult for your teen to release the negative emotions that seem to take over their entire brain. With activities like yoga and meditation, they can ease their mind and try to release the negativity that’s weighing on them.

• Different therapy dynamics — Depression treatment centers can offer a variety of therapy dynamics, including individual, group and even family therapy. These different therapy setups will allow your teen to reflect on their mental health from all angles.
• Gain powerful tools — It’s important that your teen not only gets help at the treatment center, but that they also gain the tools, resources and coping mechanisms they need to help them in the future when they leave.

Lightfully Behavioral Health is the right depression treatment center for your teen

We offer four programs at our treatment centers to assist your teen with their depression: residential treatment, Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (vIOP), Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), and Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), also called our Day Treatment Programs. 

Change is possible. When you’re ready to take the first step to help your teen’s depression, reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team. We’ll take the next steps together, toward the fullest, brightest version of your teen.