Teen depression is a serious illness. The benefits of getting help, including taking medications if needed, far outweigh the potential risks.

Depression is a mood disorder that involves a adolescent's body, mood, and thoughts. It can affect and disrupt eating, sleeping, or thinking patterns.

Mood disorders in teens remain one of the most under-diagnosed mental health problems. These disorders also put teens at risk for other conditions that may persist long after the initial episodes of depression are resolved.

The medical community once thought depression affected only adults. The risk for the condition begins in the early teens, however, and increases steadily through the mid-20s.