Hi Sophie,

Teens are the most difficult years and with any additional burden such as bullying the situation can escalate into ill health. The situation you outline leads me to a couple of thoughts. On the one hand it is tempting to suggest that your daughter is properly evaluated as to her mental state. On the other, she may be goin through a tough patch where the support and love of friends and people around her are most important. The first and second ideas aren't mutually exclusive, but our tendency to medicalise issues isn't always the best idea.

In such situations it may be a friend, a teacher, you or your daughter that says or does something that becomes the tipping point over whether to seek medical advice. Medical advice is nearly always accompanied by medication. This may be useful or it may not. Your daughter seems to lack confidence as much as anything else. A lack of self-esteem and self-regard is often a feature of depression but not necessarily in a clinical sense. I wonder if your daughter has views about how her lot might be improved? Sometimes the wilingness to listen and make changes (where they are practicable) can be enough for someone to think 'they're listening - someone actually cares.'

Another idea, especially effective for some teens, is for them to volunteer their time to help others less fortunate. This has a number of qualities. They are needed, rather than feeling needy. Their help is acknowledged. They meet other like-minded people. Their independence start to develop and so on. It doesn't need to be volunteer work having said that.

My aim here is to suggest there are alternatives to the medicalization of behavior. Of course if your daughter reveals worrying symptoms and is clearly unable to cope then a trip to the doctor is probably merited.

Just a few thoughts.

Best Wishes