Rejection from society leads the troubled one to deep disappointment, and soon after, begin to think about suicide as an easy scapegoat. .
Many other factors than can contribute to depression are difficult life events (such as death or divorce), peer pressure, other diseases such as cancer, or being overwhelmed and failing to complete specific tasks. Also, certain medications, such as Accutane (common oral treatment prescribed for severe acne) are labeled with side-effects that have been linked to cause depression (Lasko 60).
Adolescent depression can be difficult to diagnose because adults may expect teens to have mood-swings. However, even the teenager may not always understand or express his/her feelings very well and may be completely unaware that certain behaviors are symptoms of depression. Brown suggests that some common symptoms that may indicate depression include the following: withdrawal from friends and activities, poor performance in school, sadness and hopelessness, verbal expression of "I hate my life," anger and rage, overreaction to criticism, lack of enthusiasm, low self-esteem, change in eating or sleeping habits, substance abuse, and verbal threat of suicide. Some of these characters tics are more obvious than others, but should not be ignored- especially if noticed for more than two weeks. .
Typically, diagnosis is not solely relied on the physician. While the patient is being monitored, the physician (including Dr. Liu) performs a clinical interview, and obtains any information provided by parents, teachers, or anyone who interacts with the teen on a daily basis. This vulnerable age group needs adult guidance more than ever to understand all the emotional and physical changes that they are experiencing. If one is trapped under turmoil and has decreased support or no one to talk to, negative thoughts and suicide is then considered to relieve all the pain and suffering.