There is no single cause for depression. Several psychological, physiological, and environmental causes are at play that can cause a teen to struggle with depression. This can include a range of causes like:
- Abnormal brain chemistry
- Hormonal imbalance
- Genetics/inherited traits
- Early childhood trauma
Many risk factors can cause a teen to develop depression, including:
- Struggling with something that lowers their self-esteem (i.e., obesity)
- Being a victim of physical or sexual abuse
- Struggling with a chronic illness or ongoing pain
- Abusing drugs or alcohol
- Having low self-esteem
- Being overly self-critical