School – and especially high school – can be tough on adolescents, but does school cause depression, or is it just a common contributing factor?

Rates of teen depression were already on the rise before the COVID pandemic. Today, the rates have reached concerning new heights, with roughly 40% of high school students reporting persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness, and about 30% reporting overall poor mental health. 

This, combined with the fact that teens are more likely to experience depression than adults, raises significant questions around the causes of depression among high school students, including the role of high school itself. 

The Ridge RTC provides dedicated mental health support to teens in serene residential facilities in New Hampshire and Maine. And below, we’re tackling the link between school and teen depression, from how school contributes to depression to other underlying factors at play. Read on to learn more. 

High School and Mental Health

High school is filled with pressures and challenges that can spur on or worsen depressive symptoms in teens, among them:

• Academic Stress: Heavy workloads, high expectations, and pressure to excel.
• Social Challenges: Peer pressure, lack of a well-established identity, and the struggle to fit in.
• Extracurricular Demands: Balancing sports, clubs, and other activities.
• Future Uncertainty: College admissions, career choices, and fear of failure.

That’s not to say that every high school student will suffer from depression, or even that every student is at high risk of it. Troubling numbers of teens with depression in school are instead linked to a wide range of factors in addition to school, including genetics and family history, home environment, and trauma caused by loss, abuse, or significant life changes. 

Other Triggers of Depression in High School Students

There is no shortage of ways in which depression among high school students can occur. Other factors of life in high school that may play a role in the development of depression include:

• Lack of Sleep: Early school start times and excessive homework are affecting teen sleep cycles.
• Social Media & Comparison Culture: Increased feelings of inadequacy and loneliness.
• Bullying & Peer Conflicts: Emotional distress caused by in-person and online harassment.
• Academic Pressure & Burnout: The impact of perfectionism and high expectations.

Perhaps it’s more helpful, then, to think of school as something that can contribute to depression in a myriad of ways, more than a cause of depression outright. In either case, all of these risk factors highlight the need for early intervention and appropriate treatment for depression in high school students, and that starts with being able to recognize the most obvious signs that something is wrong. 

Signs of Depression Among High School Students

Teens who are struggling with depression may experience a variety of symptoms. The ones we see most commonly in high schoolers include:

• Persistent sadness, hopelessness, or irritability
• Changes in sleep or eating habits
• Loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed
• Difficulty concentrating or declining grades
• Social withdrawal from friends and family
• Self-harm or suicidal thoughts (requires immediate intervention)

Some of these, such as irritability, inability to concentrate, or weird sleep habits, are already prominent in adolescents and are not always a sign of a mental health disorder. What distinguishes symptoms of depression from more general teen emotions and behaviors is their intensity and persistence, as well as their effect on a teen’s broader quality of life. 

Ways to Support Teens with Depression in School

Depression is highly treatable in teens, and doesn’t always require professional treatment. 

Depending on the severity of symptoms, you can start by making positive changes at home, such as encouraging open communication, helping teens set realistic goals, and establishing healthy routines around sleep and self-care. Monitoring screen time and social media use can help too by reducing exposure to negative influences and triggers. 

That being said, sometimes treatment is absolutely necessary. Available treatments for teens with depression in school include therapy, counseling, and/or the use of antidepressant medications. There are also residential programs like The Ridge RTC, which offer dedicated teen mental health support alongside peer support, holistic therapies, and on-site academic instruction so teens don’t fall behind at school. 

Help for High Schoolers with Depression

Does school cause depression? No, but it can be (and often is) a major contributing factor for teens. 

Fortunately, help is available. Here at Ridge RTC, we offer comprehensive mental health treatment for teens with a focus on evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), all in a supportive environment where teens can heal and develop healthy coping strategies. Early intervention and professional support can make all the difference in depression recovery. Explore our website for more resources, and get in touch to discuss available treatment options for struggling teens.