According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression can be defined as a state of mental instability that affects the human body, mood, thought pattern and relationships with others. Statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health show that approximately 11% of adolescents suffer from a depressive disorder by age eighteen. (National Institute of Mental Health). Adolescent depression is one of the problems facing teenagers in today's society. Depression can occur at any age in human life, but is more common in adolescents. Teenage depression can be a major obstacle to teens achieving their dreams and goals in life. This can have several negative effects on the lives of adolescents and their families. The causes of adolescent depression can be mainly grouped into two categories; they are psychological and environmental causes. Psychological factors/causes concern the less physical but mental causes of adolescent depression. While environmental factors/causes mainly concern the more physical and obvious causes. Sometimes teenagers can have difficulty with certain actions which can lead them to depression. These causes perhaps include academic pressure from parents, bullying, verbal abuse and chronic diseases. Most of the time parents place high academic expectations on their children, not considering the child's academic abilities. When kids aren't appreciated for the effort they put into school work, but rather are scolded, they may end up viewing themselves as not good enough. This can lead to depression and they may consider dropping out of school. Bullying can also be considered a serious problem among adolescents. This can occur in any social environment, not just schools as mostly portrayed. Bullyi...... half of document ...... peers who abuse or become dependent on marijuana” (Office of the National Drug Control Policy). In conclusion, adolescent depression is a chronic problem in the lives of adolescents, which should be managed properly. When signs of this are noticed in adolescents, appropriate measures should be taken to ensure their safety and restore their mental strength. Works Cited Bock, Robert. News from the National Institute of Health. September 21, 2010. Web. April 14, 2014. Keith A. King and Rebecca A. Vidourek. "Adolescent depression and suicide: effective prevention and intervention strategies". The Prevention Researcher (2012): 15. Web.National Institute of Mental Health. “Teens Use Marijuana and Make Depression Worse.” 2007. National Institute of Mental Health. Network. March 22, 2014. Office of National Drug Control Policy. “National Survey of Drug Use and Health.” May 2008. Print. March 26 2014.