Depression Treatment
“Asking for help is the first step. You are more precious to this world than you’ll ever know.”
– Lili Reinhart
In 2022, it was reported that California had the 2nd highest increase in depression and anxiety symptoms among youth in the country. At SoCal Youth Center, we aim to help reduce this statistic for the children and teens in our community by offering depression treatment.
What We Treat: Depression in Children and Teens
Depression is a diagnosable mental health condition that occurs in adults, teens, and children. Depression is more than just feeling “blue” or bummed out. Sadness is normal, but when that feeling makes it difficult for someone to function or enjoy their surroundings during the day it could be more serious. A person living with depression often cannot focus and has no energy or motivation to accomplish even simple tasks like getting out of bed, wearing clean clothes, or showering.
How We Treat: Depression in Children and Teens at SoCal Youth Center
When treating depression in teens and children at SoCal Youth Center, we focus on building up our client’s self-esteem and self-compassion. A study from 2022 found that teenagers who had lower levels of self-compassion were more likely to have lower emotional regulation and higher depression symptoms. On the other side, participants of the study who had higher self-compassion were more likely to regulate their emotions and reduce depression symptoms.
To help our clients increase their self-esteem and self care, your child will participate in one individual therapy session every week. Our team will work with your child one-on-one to help them sort through their emotions, symptoms, and concerns to promote an individualized healing environment.
Family support and connection are also a significant component of a successful recovery for children and teens with depression. This is why there is also one family session every week so you can remain informed of your child’s progress and learn how to support them best.
Your child will also participate in four different group sessions each week. Those groups are known as “identity,” “communication,” “self-esteem,” and “dungeons and dragons.” These group sessions allow your child to form relationships with peers as they focus on team building and social interaction skills. Connection with peers helps decrease depression symptoms for anyone, especially children and teens.
Depending on your child’s needs, we have three programs of varying intensity. These are partial hospitalization (Day Program), intensive outpatient (After School Program), and telehealth (Therapy From Home). During your child’s initial assessment, we will determine which program will best suit your child’s needs. How long your child will be in treatment can vary, and the level of care they need may also change at any point.
Partial Hospitalization Program (Day Program)
Our Day Program is the highest level of care we offer at SoCal Youth Center. Your child will attend treatment daily, participate in individual and group therapies, and receive medication management. This level of care helps your child learn how to have a healthier life, manage daily challenges, identify harmful behaviors and thoughts, and build a support network of peers to lean on. At the end of the day, your child will return home. We also include an educational component in our Day Program that works closely with your child’s school to ensure they do not fall behind while attending depression treatment.
Intensive Outpatient Program (After School Program)
Our After School Program is best suited for those who don’t need a higher level of care to begin their treatment or those looking to transition from a Day Program setting. This program lasts for a few hours a day after school has let out. This ensures your child can attend school as usual and attend depression treatment afterward. Our After School Program includes the same therapies as the Day Program, just on a smaller and less intensive basis.
Clients Testimonial
Telehealth (Therapy From Home)
For those who live too far away from our facility or are unable to provide reliable transportation, our therapy from home option is an excellent choice for children and teens with depression. Your child will receive the same care they would have if they attended treatment at the facility, but they can do so from the comfort of home. The only requirement is a computer and internet connection.
Depression: Is It Different From Sadness or Grief?
Depression is different from both sadness and grief. Sadness and grief are both normal, healthy reactions to things that happen. Everyone is expected to experience sadness at some point, as it is a healthy emotion. The same is true for grief as well. It is a typical reaction to loss, especially when it is important to an individual. With time, both sadness and grief will improve without treatment. Depression often requires medical treatment for individuals to find recovery.
While these are different from depression, they can still be related. Persistent sadness is a possible symptom of depression. Still, your child or teen being sad occasionally does not immediately indicate they have this condition. Grief comes in 5 stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Depression is a part of the grieving process, but for most people, it will resolve itself. However, there are some instances where grief does not improve after the first year. In this case, treatment for depression is a valuable tool in enabling your child to find healing. It is hard to watch your child or teen experience this condition, or you might feel like they are lazy or defiant. This is not necessarily true. In a 2023 study that examined the depression symptom of fatigue, researchers acknowledged that this symptom was viewed as laziness in the past, which many teens or family members may still believe. However, the study showed that fatigue in depression is a more complex part of the condition. Combined with other symptoms, depression significantly impacts an adolescent’s life and ability to achieve at the same level as their peers, no matter how hard they try. The study also showed that stigmatized beliefs around fatigue in depression, both from your child and others, result in adolescents being less likely to want to seek help.
Your teen is not the first one to have this experience. In 2021, 20% of youth between the ages of 12 and 17 experienced at least 2 weeks of depression symptoms. There are several reasons why some children or teens may develop depression. These can be because of genetics, such as if someone in your family has also had depression. It can also be environmental as well. Many different types of trauma happen to children or teens. Examples include bullying, the death of someone they love, unrealistic academic or family expectations, what they see in the media, and more. Other possible risk factors that your teen or child might have that put them at risk for developing depression include:
- Family conflict
- Physical health concerns
- Other mental health diagnoses
- Conflict with friends at school
- Low self-esteem
- Trauma
- Sexual assault
Diagnosing Depression in Teens
For your teen to be diagnosed with depression, they will need a thorough assessment from a medical professional. Your teen can only receive an official diagnosis from their doctor or mental health professional. This assessment often includes a physical exam to determine if a health condition is related and a psychological evaluation that looks at your child’s thoughts, behaviors, and emotions.
Depression Symptoms Parents Should Be Aware Of
Even though you cannot formally diagnose your child with depression on your own, you can keep in mind specific symptoms that indicate a need for your teen to receive a proper assessment and diagnosis. These include:
- Feelings of sadness, anger, hopelessness, guilt, or irritability
- Low self-esteem
- Crying for no apparent reason
- Loss of interest in hobbies, family, or friends
- Sensitivity to rejection or failure
- Tiredness
- Changes in appetite
- Poor school performance
- Less attention to hygiene or appearance
- Self-harm
- Suicide attempt
Getting The Best Depression Treatment Today in Southern California
We take a team-based approach to treating our young clients at SoCal Youth Center. Our team has multiple team meetings every week to ensure everyone is on the same page about your child’s depression treatment plan. Our facility also does not treat substance use disorders, so you are guaranteed that your child will remain in an environment and be surrounded by staff and peers that will promote a healthy recovery from this mental health condition. To learn more about our depression treatment, contact us today.
SoCal Youth Center has two centers, one located in Costa Mesa, and one in Long Beach, CA. We are doctor-owned and have 3 psychiatrists on staff to ensure your child receives the highest quality of care in depression recovery. To schedule an appointment, call us at 714-716-5044.
SoCal Youth Center: Celebrating diversity, embracing unity.