Anxiety and Depression in Adolescents

In the modern complex societies, which are full of stresses and strains, almost everybody experiences feelings of depression at one time or another. The emotions of feeling sad, unhappy or disappointed are a part of a human being's normal existence and are experienced by everyone almost on a daily basis. Such emotions may be associated with failure in academics, setback in a relationship, loss in a financial

investment, breakup of a love affair, or with the death of a loved one. However, after feeling low for a few days, during which time there can be changes in the sleep pattern and appetite, disinterest in daily chores etc., the person undergoing depressive symptoms usually returns to normal within a reasonable period of time. Anxiety can be studied in a categorical way (diagnosis: yes or no), or in a dimensional way (symptom or severity scores). While in the past the categorical approach dominated, in recent years, increasing attention has been given to anxiety symptoms which do not meet diagnostic criteria. Due to the large variety in definitions and assessment methods of anxiety symptoms, it is difficult to estimate their prevalence. Anxiety symptoms predict the onset of anxiety disorder and depression, and have been associated with lower levels of well-being even before they reach disorder status.