What is depression?

Everyone feels sad or miserable sometimes, but when these feelings are with you most of the time and you stop enjoying life and lose interest in things you used to like doing, you may have depression.

You may not for example, enjoy doing the following things anymore - playing sport, doing well at school or work, or hanging out with friends and family.

Having depression is not just feeling down for a day or two, it’s when the symptoms go on for two weeks or longer.

The good news is that getting the right type of help, and getting it early, can make it much easier for you get back on track and deal with depression.

Sometimes people say that adolescence is the best time of our lives. For many young people it is. For others, it can be a really challenging time - wanting independence, trying to fit in, new relationships, working things out with family and friends, and just coping with the day-to-day highs and lows.

What is depression and who can get it?

Depression is more than just feeling upset or sad. It’s a serious illness that leaves you feeling down most of the time and finding it hard to cope from day to day.

Did you know that around 160,000 young people aged 16-24 years live with depression⁽¹⁾, so it’s a common illness. Girls are more likely than boys to get depression, but boys often find it harder to talk about their feelings and get help.

Depression is the most common mental health problem for young people. Around one in five young people will have experienced depression by the time they reach adulthood.

Depression is an illness which can lead to problems with alcohol (including binge drinking), cigarettes and other drugs, low self-esteem and taking risks with your health and that of others.

Depression can also have long-term effects. Depression may lead to young people dropping out of school or quitting their jobs, which could further affect their social lives and career options. People who’re depressed as young people are often at risk of depression in adulthood as well. And untreated depression is a risk factor for suicidal behaviour.

However, the good news is that depression can be treated. There are a lot of different options available to help manage the illness.

What causes depression?

Often, people think you “get depressed” because something’s gone wrong with your life – for example, you’ve gone through a bad break-up or failed an exam. However, research shows that usually, there isn’t one reason for a person developing depression. Often, it’s the result of a combination of several factors that put young people at risk of developing depression.

It’s not easy to say exactly what causes depression — it’s different for each person.

Sometimes a difficult time in your life can set off depression and sometimes it’s caused by a combination of things that build up over time. Sometimes, there is no obvious cause at all.

A difficult experience, such as the loss of someone close to you, may lead to depression or it might make you more likely to have depression if other things go wrong when you’re older.
Other negative things can increase your chance of getting depression for example:

being abused or bullied
feeling that you are doing badly at work or school
having bad experiences with your family (especially when you were young).
family history of mental illness
parents having depression or another mental illness
family arguments, separation, divorce
brothers or sisters moving out of home
poor self esteem
not getting on with friends or family
not coping
stress
not being able to talk to people
not having people to talk to
being in debt
putting yourself down
feeling lonely.

If one or both of your parents have depression, your chance of also having depression is higher, especially if you are a girl. However, if you have a family history of depression, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll experience depression too.

Young people who experience a head injury or another illness, such as epilepsy or cancer, can also be at more risk of developing depression.

Sometimes depression occurs for no obvious reason.

Regardless of what causes depression, it’s a real illness. If you have depression, you need treatment and a plan to help you recover.

Sources

^[1] Australian Bureau of Statistics (2008). 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results (4326.0). Canberra: ABS