After losing someone or something important, it’s expected for your teen to behave a bit differently for some time. They might cry more, have changing sleeping patterns, withdraw, or have a harder time finding enjoyment in the things they normally enjoy.
While these changes are normal when grieving, when they become more severe or continue for weeks or months afterward, you might start wondering whether you’re seeing teen grief or depression.
It can be hard to recognize the difference between grief vs. depression in teens, especially since they share several symptoms. To help, this page will explain:
Grief is a natural response to losing someone or something important.[1] Depression is a mental health condition that can cause persistent changes in your teen’s:[2]
But distinguishing between normal grief vs. depression isn’t always as easy as looking for sadness because they have several overlapping symptoms. Both can cause:
There is no single symptom that always separates grief vs. depression in teens. Instead, it’s important to look at the larger pattern. Grief might look like:
On the other hand, signs of depression after a death might look like persistent low mood or distress that spreads to your teen’s whole life and sense of self. Your teen might also find it hard to get out of bed, get dressed, or go to school on most days, for weeks or even months. While complicated grief and depression look very similar, the biggest difference between complicated grief vs. depression is that complicated grief strictly revolves around the loss.
But there are no perfect rules for comparing grief and depression in adolescent experiences. Some grieving teenagers experience severe symptoms, while depression can also fluctuate. Instead of relying on one sign, parents can pay attention to the combination, persistence, and impact of their teen’s symptoms.
Grief and depression aren’t exclusive, and sometimes a loss that’s painful enough can result in a depressive disorder. Research following bereaved young people has found an increased risk of depression following some significant losses, including sudden parental death.[3] This means that bereavement and depression in teens can happen together. Symptoms of depression after a loss for a teenager might look like:
Looking at grief vs. depression in teens, a grieving teen may temporarily isolate themselves or have less energy for activities. However, depression may involve a longer, broader loss of interest or pleasure in friendships, hobbies, sports, or family activities.[2] So if your teen’s loss of interest becomes more consistent, that might be a sign they’re developing depression.
For depression after a loss, your teenager might experience changes in their self-worth. You might hear them make comments like, “I’m a burden”, “Things won’t get better”, or “Everyone would be better off without me.” Feelings of worthlessness, broad self-criticism, and hopelessness can be important signs of depression after a death rather than grief alone.[4]
Adolescent depression after a loss may also begin affecting several parts of everyday life at once. When they’re grieving, they might find it hard to get out of bed right after the loss, but with time they’re usually able to return to their normal level of functioning.
But if you notice an ongoing inability to participate in activities they previously enjoyed, isolation, declining grades, or difficulty maintaining hygiene, that may be an indication of depression.
Parents can’t remove grief, but they can create an environment in which their teenager doesn’t have to manage it alone. The following steps may help:
Determining grief vs. depression in teens sometimes means supporting them by seeing how their symptoms are changing. Rather than repeatedly asking if they’re okay, try asking more specific questions. For instance, you could ask how they’ve been sleeping, whether they still enjoy seeing friends, or what parts of their day are hardest.
After a death, it’s easy to explain concerning behavior by thinking, “Of course they’re struggling. They’re grieving.” Give your teen room to grieve while continuing to notice their overall mental health. Persistent hopelessness, withdrawal, loss of interest, or significant difficulty functioning deserves attention.
Connection doesn’t always require a deep conversation. Eating together, driving somewhere, taking a walk, watching television, or simply sitting nearby can give a teenager opportunities to connect without feeling pressured to discuss their grief.
Mission Prep is here to help you or your loved one take the next steps towards an improved mental well-being.
Treatment for grief or depression should be based on what your teen is experiencing rather than using the same approach for every bereaved teen. Treatment for a grieving teenager’s mental health may include:
No matter whether it’s grief vs. depression in teens, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help them explore how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. CBT helps them identify negative thoughts like This will never stop hurting, challenge those thoughts, and find more adaptive ways of thinking.
It may be used to address depression as well as grief-related guilt, hopelessness, or self-blame. Research has also found that grief-focused CBT can reduce prolonged grief, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms in bereaved children and adolescents.[5]
Sometimes the circumstances surrounding a death are traumatic as well as painful. If your teen witnessed the death, discovered the person afterward, or experienced another frightening event surrounding it, treatment may also need to address trauma symptoms. For example, research shows that Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is effective in treating trauma in teens.[6]
Some teenagers find it difficult to explain grief with words alone. Creative and body-based approaches can give your teen other ways to express their feelings without the need to talk about the details.
Whether your teen has grief or depression, art therapy gives them the space to express themselves through drawing, painting, sculpting, or other creative outlets. Approaches like somatic therapy can help your teen notice where the grief or depression is showing up in their bodies and learn skills to work through those sensations.
Mission Prep provides treatment for teens experiencing various mental health conditions. Mental Health support is a phone call away – call 866-901-4047 to learn about your treatment options.
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Parents don’t have to decide whether it’s grief vs. depression in teens before asking for help. At Mission Prep Teen Treatment, we treat a wide range of mental health conditions, including grief. We look at your teen as a whole person rather than defining them by symptoms or diagnoses.
Our expert team works to understand what’s happening emotionally, as well as how your teen’s mental health affects school, relationships, physical well-being, and their ability to participate in everyday activities.
From there, we personalize treatment around their symptoms, concerns, circumstances, strengths, and goals. Depending on your teen’s needs, their treatment plan may include evidence-based and supportive approaches such as CBT, EMDR, mindfulness, art therapy, and somatic therapy.
Whether your teen could benefit from a residential treatment program at one of our locations or something more flexible, like an outpatient mental health program delivered virtually, our team can help. Mission Prep Teen Treatment accepts insurance and is in-network with most major providers. We are happy to help you check your insurance coverage for mental health care.
Start the admissions process online or call 866-901-4047 to speak with a caring member of our team who can answer any questions you might have. Reach out for a free, no-obligation conversation.
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Whether it’s teen grief or depression, it’s normal to be worried about what your teen is going through. You might have questions about what they’re experiencing and when you should seek support for your teen. Below, we answer some questions parents often have about depression and teen grief symptoms.
Grief doesn’t automatically lead to depression, but depression is common after a significant loss. Research shows that around 15% of people meet criteria for depression one year after a loss.[7]
If you’re concerned about depression after loss in your teenager, consider the intensity, persistence, and impact of their symptoms rather than assuming they’re an expected part of grief.
There isn’t a set amount of time after which grief becomes abnormal. Feelings of loss can return around anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, graduations, and other milestones. Prolonged grief disorder is different. A clinician may consider this diagnosis when severe grief remains at least six months after a death, significantly affects functioning, and exceeds cultural, social, or religious expectations.[8]
Consider professional support if grief is significantly interfering with school, relationships, sleep, self-care, or other areas of daily life. Therapy may also help if your teen has intense guilt, persistent hopelessness, trauma symptoms, increasing isolation, prolonged grief symptoms, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts. You don’t need to know whether grief or depression is responsible before asking for help.
At Mission Prep Teen Treatment, we support teens dealing with grief, depression, or other mental health concerns through personalized care. Using a combination of evidence-based and holistic supports, we help teens manage their emotions, develop coping tools, and find stability. Our compassionate team is there to support them in reconnecting with their joy, purpose, and sense of self.
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