Luckily, the doctors do indeed prescribe antidepressants to adolescents that dramatically help them deal with their depression. This practice is called an "off-label" use and is not uncommon for many illnesses.
The article also mentions that, of course, besides medication there must be some type of psychiatric help. The medication has to go hand-in-hand with the cognitive-behavior therapy - talk therapy that helps kids identify where their stress comes from and teaches them how to address and deal with it. These therapy sessions have enabled many teenagers to finally focus on school and go on with their lives as any other kid in school. Still, there are many ongoing studies conducted by researchers who are trying to find much more effective treatments for depressed adolescents.
The article also shows that depressed teens usually suffer for many years before they are identified. Even some adults who work with kids (teachers, coaches, pediatricians) can misread the signs of early depression. Even by professional doctors, those signs or symptoms are often mistaken for mononucleosis or chronic-fatigue syndrome. Also, finding the right help can be as difficult as identifying the kids who need help.
Who are the kids at risk of becoming depressed? Studies show that there are many different factors that could put the child at a high risk of becoming depressed. In most cases, one of those factors is parental separation. Children seem to be torn when the family is undergoing such major changes as a divorce. A lot of times, parents don't notice that there is something wrong with their child because they are so preoccupied with what is going on in their own lives that they don't notice a gradual decline in their kid's grades and development of the anti-social or delinquent behavior in their children. Negative experiences, such as growing up in an abusive home or witnessing violence, increase the probability of a depressive episode in kids who are at risk.