Parents should be on the lookout for signs of depression getting worse, whether their child is at home or away at school or work, so they can intervene, if necessary. “It’s unique for every person, and different things can be red flags for different people,” says Christensen.Dropping grades. “If you start to hear that your child’s academic performance is declining, they’re not attending classes, their motivation is low, and they’re spending lots of time in their room or coming home every weekend, those could be warning signs that the depression is getting worse,” Christensen says.Using or increasing use of alcohol and/or drugs. “These are coping mechanisms people may use to deal with depression,” says Lownes.Unhealthy eating or sleeping patterns, including weight gain or loss. “These are physical signs of worsening depression,” Christensen says.An increase in physical complaints. “I’ve seen with college kids lots of headaches, bathroom problems, back aches,” says Christensen. “On the extreme level, a decline in personal self-care where you can tell they’re not taking care of themselves.”Communicating hopelessness or being fixated on past failures. “Saying they never do anything right or they fail at everything, or showing extreme sensitivity are signs of the depression getting worse as well,” notes Christensen. “Rarely do they say they want to kill themselves,” says Lownes. “They’ll usually say, ‘What’s the point?’ As it gets more serious, they may start giving away some of their favorite things and cutting off relationships.”

Source: Helping Young Adult Children Cope with Depression – Mental Health Treatment