Many young people experience high levels of stress. In recent years, research and clinical experience have recognized this. One manifestation of teen stress is depression, now considered a widespread and incapacitating problem among American adolescents. This fact sheet reviews some ideas and suggestions on communicating with and supporting distressed young people. As used here, stress refers to the body's physiological reaction to any demand.
Distress refers to the reactions when the demand is perceived as a problem or threat.
Depression is an emotional state characterized by intense sadness, hopelessness, or despair that results from inability to cope with one's problems or demands. A study of some 2,000 Minnesota teenagers found that when they experience stress or problems, most try to handle it alone or talk with other young people about it. Relatively few, at least as a first reaction, turn to adults for help. One reason is that adults tend to discount or underestimate the significance of young people's pressure and problems. All too often, efforts by children and teens to communicate intense feelings are minimized, denied, rationalized, or ignored by parents, physicians, school personnel, and other adults.