A recent NPR article explored the alarming rising suicide rates, particularly among young adolescent girls who are entering puberty and experiencing depression at increasingly earlier ages.

One researcher observed, “it’s usually been referred to as the storm-and-stress period of life because there’s just a lot of change happening all at one time.”

Parents of teenagers can have difficulty differentiating normal teen separation behavior from depression. Here’s how you can do this. Below are two lists of behaviors: one shows symptoms of depression (in teens and younger children) and the other shows “normal” teen behavior.

If your child had more than 5 of the symptoms in the depression column for longer than two weeks, he may be depressed and need help.

Depression Symptoms:

1. Irritable or depressed mood

2. Decreased interest or pleasure in normal every day activities

3. Weight loss when not dieting or sudden weight gain

4. Insomnia or hypersomnia (sleeping too much)

5. Psychomotor agitation or retardation (the body is hyperactive or very slow compared to normal)

6. Fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, or a sense of inappropriate guilt

7. Decreased ability to think, concentrate or increased indecisiveness

8. Recurrent thoughts of suicide or death

Kids who have a family…