May is Mental Health Month. As a pediatrician, I am so glad we have a month dedicated to bringing awareness to the importance of mental health. After all, mental health affects physical health. I’ve seen many patients who have suffered from depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, you name it. When a child’s mental health suffers, the health of the entire family suffers.

One of the biggest mental health problems facing our children today is depression, especially in teens. Statistics show that in 2016, more than three million adolescents had a major depressive episode. (These episodes were far more common in girls than in boys.)

One of the biggest mental health problems facing our children today is depression, especially in teens.

Despite how prevalent this disease is, many parents are still uneducated about the signs and risks of depression in their children. With teens, this is difficult because some teens may seem depressed when they are actually just showing normal signs of teen separation, a crucial step in child development. This makes it hard to know if your teen is truly depressed, or just moody or tired.

You can know the difference by knowing the signs of depression and the signs that indicate…