Correlation Between Adolescent Depression And Adulthood Obesity
According to research conducted by Laura P. Richardson et al., major depression occurred in 7% of the cohort during early adolescence and 27% during late adolescence . At 26 years of age, 12% of study members were obese. After adjusting for each individual’s baseline body mass index , depressed late-adolescent girls were at a greater than 2-fold increased risk for obesity in adulthood compared with their non-depressed female peers . A dose-response relationship between the number of episodes of depression during adolescence and the risk for adult obesity was also observed in female subjects. The association was not observed for late adolescent boys or for early adolescent boys or girls.
Managing Symptoms: Staying Healthy
Being healthy is important for all children and can be especially important for children with depression or anxiety. In addition to getting the right treatment, leading a healthy lifestyle can play a role in managing symptoms of depression or anxiety. Here are some healthy behaviors that may help:
- Having a healthy eating plan centered on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes , lean protein sources, and nuts and seeds
- Participating in physical activity for at least 60 minutes each day
- Practicing mindfulness or relaxation techniques
Mental Health For Adolescents
Many adolescents experience positive mental health, but an estimated 49.5 percent of adolescents has had a mental health disorder at some point in their lives.1 The good news is that promoting positive mental health can prevent some problems. For young people who do have mental health disorders, early intervention and treatment can help lessen the impact on their lives.
It is a normal part of development for teens to experience a wide range of emotions. It is typical, for instance, for teens to feel anxious about school or friendships, or to experience a period of depression following the death of a close friend or family member. However, mental health disorders are characterized by persistent symptoms that affect how a young person feels, thinks, and acts. Mental health disorders also can interfere with regular activities and daily functioning, such as relationships, schoolwork, sleeping, and eating.2
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Prevalence Of Major Depressive Episode Among Adults
- Figure 1 shows the past year prevalence of major depressive episode among U.S. adults aged 18 or older in 2020.
- An estimated 21.0 million adults in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. This number represented 8.4% of all U.S. adults.
- The prevalence of major depressive episode was higher among adult females compared to males .
- The prevalence of adults with a major depressive episode was highest among individuals aged 18-25 .
- The prevalence of major depressive episode was highest among those who report having multiple races .
Figure 1
*Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race all other racial/ethnic groups are non-Hispanic |AI/AN = American Indian / Alaskan Native.Note: The estimate for Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander group is not reported in the above figure due to low precision of data collection in 2020.
Status Of Psychological Treatments For Depression In Adolescents
The first review that applied the Criteria for Empirically Supported Treatments to evaluate the efficacy of psychological treatments identified seven trials on adolescent depression, and considered CWD-A to be the only treatment that had achieved probable efficacious status, based on the two trials by the research team of Lewinsohn , which demonstrated the superiority of CBT over WL. This paucity of results is understandable, considering that when the review was published in 1998, barely three years had elapsed since the development of the classification criteria for evidence-based therapy.
A subsequent review published in 2008 revealed the growing number of adolescent depression trials produced in one decade. They examined 18 new trials plus two published in 1996 , which had not been included in the earlier review, and concluded that CBT and IPT were well-established treatments, because there were at least two RCTs showing that they were superior to another treatment or to an active control condition.
These reviews included treatment trials with clinical samples and prevention trials with subclinical samples. In the current review, we focused only on trials involving adolescents with a diagnosis of depression that is, 18 of the previous trials, to which we added 9 more that were new or were not included in the aforementioned reviews.
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National Trends In The Prevalence And Treatment Of Depression In Adolescents And Young Adults
POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: The authors have indicated they have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.
Pediatrics
Ramin Mojtabai, Mark Olfson, Beth Han National Trends in the Prevalence and Treatment of Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults. Pediatrics December 2016 138 : e20161878. 10.1542/peds.2016-1878
This study examined national trends in 12-month prevalence of major depressive episodes in adolescents and young adults overall and in different sociodemographic groups, as well as trends in depression treatment between 2005 and 2014.
Data were drawn from the National Surveys on Drug Use and Health for 2005 to 2014, which are annual cross-sectional surveys of the US general population. Participants included 172495 adolescents aged 12 to 17 and 178755 adults aged 18 to 25. Time trends in 12-month prevalence of MDEs were examined overall and in different subgroups, as were time trends in the use of treatment services.
The prevalence of depression in adolescents and young adults has increased in recent years. In the context of little change in mental health treatments, trends in prevalence translate into a growing number of young people with untreated depression. The findings call for renewed efforts to expand service capacity to best meet the mental health care needs of this age group.
Prevention Of Anxiety And Depression
It is not known exactly why some children develop anxiety or depression. Many factors may play a role, including biology and temperament. But it is also known that some children are more likely to develop anxiety or depression when they experience trauma or stress, when they are maltreated, when they are bullied or rejected by other children, or when their own parents have anxiety or depression.
Although these factors appear to increase the risk for anxiety or depression, there are ways to decrease the chance that children experience them. Learn about public health approaches to prevent these risks:
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Why Are So Many Teens Depressed
Here are some disturbing statistics about teen depression. According to suicide.org, teen and adolescent suicides have continued to rise dramatically in recent years. Consider these alarming figures:
- Every 100 minutes a teen takes their own life.
- Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24.
- About 20 percent of all teens experience depression before they reach adulthood.
- Between 10 to 15 percent suffer from symptoms at any one time.
- Only 30 percent of depressed teens are being treated for it.
Some teens are more at risk for depression and suicide than others. These are known factors:
- Female teens develop depression twice as often than males.
- Abused and neglected teens are especially at risk.
- Adolescents who suffer from chronic illnesses or other physical conditions are at risk.
- Teens with a family history of depression or mental illness: between 20 to 50 percent of teens suffering from depression have a family member with depression or some other mental disorder.
- Teens with untreated mental or substance-abuse problems: approximately two-thirds of teens with major depression also battle other mood disorders like dysthymia, anxiety, antisocial behaviors, or substance abuse.
- Young people who experienced trauma or disruptions at home, including divorce and deaths of parents.
Legitimacy As A Diagnosis
In early research of depression in children, there was debate as to whether or not children could clinically fit the criteria for major depressive disorder. However, since the 1970s, it has been accepted among the psychological community that depression in children can be clinically significant. The more pertinent controversy in psychology today centers around the clinical significance of sub-threshold mood disorders. This controversy stems from the debate regarding the definition of the specific criteria for a clinically significant depressed mood in relation to the cognitive and behavioral symptoms. Some psychologists argue that the effects of mood disorders in children and adolescents that exist do not have severe enough risks. Children in this area of severity, they argue, should receive some sort of treatment since the effects could still be severe. However, since there has yet to be enough research or scientific evidence to support that children that fall within the area just shy of a clinical diagnosis require treatment, other psychologists are hesitant to support the dispensation of treatment.
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Prevalence Of Major Depressive Episode Among Adolescents
- Figure 2 shows the past year prevalence of major depressive episode among U.S. adolescents in 2020.
- An estimated 4.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. This number represented 17.0% of the U.S. population aged 12 to 17.
- The prevalence of major depressive episode was higher among adolescent females compared to males .
- The prevalence of major depressive episode was highest among adolescents reporting two or more races .
Figure 2
Demographic | |
---|---|
2 or more Races | 29.9 |
*Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race all other racial/ethnic groups are non-Hispanic. Note: Estimates for Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander and American Indian / Alaskan Native groups are not reported in the above figure due to low precision of data collection in 2020.
Depression In Childhood And Adolescence
Teenage Depression mood disorder
Depression is a mental disorder characterized by prolonged unhappiness or irritability, accompanied by a constellation of somatic and cognitive signs and symptoms such as fatigue, apathy, sleep problems, loss of appetite, loss of engagement low self-regard or worthlessness difficulty concentrating or indecisiveness or recurrent thoughts of death or suicide. Depression in childhood and adolescence is similar to adult major depressive disorder, although young sufferers may exhibit increased irritability or behavioral dyscontrol instead of the more common sad, empty, or hopeless feelings seen with adults. Children who are under stress, experiencing loss, or have other underlying disorders are at a higher risk for depression. Childhood depression is often comorbid with mental disorders outside of other mood disorders most commonly anxiety disorder and conduct disorder. Depression also tends to run in families. In a 2016 Cochrane review cognitive behavior therapy , third wave CBT and interpersonal therapy demonstrated small positive benefits in the prevention of depression. Psychologists have developed different treatments to assist children and adolescents suffering from depression, though the legitimacy of the diagnosis of childhood depression as a psychiatric disorder, as well as the efficacy of various methods of assessment and treatment, remains controversial.
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Depression In Adolescence: A Public Health Problem
Depression is a major public health concern it is the most disabling single disorder, contributing to 7.2% of the overall burden of disease in Europe . Depression is common, recurrent, sometimes chronic, and often comorbid with anxiety and substance and alcohol use problems.
Depression is one of the main risk factors for suicide in adolescence. Among adolescents aged 1519 years old, suicide is the third leading cause of death in 2016, an estimated 62,000 adolescents died from self-harm . In 2018, suicide was one of the three leading causes of death in Spain in the 15 to 19 age group: 18.2% traffic accidents, 17.7% tumors, and 17.0% suicide .
Comorbidity is common in adolescents with depression. In 1990, Fleming and Offord concluded that pure depression in children and adolescents is a rare entity , p. 575. Clinical and epidemiological studies show that 4080% of children and adolescents with depression have at least one other disorder and 2050% have two or more comorbid disorders. Adolescent depression is associated with impairment in academic performance and family and peer relationships, and with a wide range of other disorders and problems, including anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse, risky sexual behavior, hyperactivity, oppositional behavior, antisocial behavior, delinquency, eating disorders, and self-injury .
The Relationship Between Incidence Of Depression And Individual Characteristics Of Female Students
The proportion of female adolescents with depression disorder seemed to be higher in the public High Schools than in the private schools in present study. This might indicate that female students in a private high school were more likely to be endowed with greater social reinforcements and continue their education with stronger hope and motivations, which may decrease the level of anxiety or depression. These results agreed with the results of previous studies .
The results of this study was revealed that the fields of study were statistically and significantly correlated with depression in female students. So that students who were studying in Kar Va danesh field of study had greater percentage of depression. One possible reason for this result can be that being academically successful and making a place for oneself in the society is Iranian adolescents priority and this largely depends on the field of study in high school. In todays competitive world, it is not uncommon to find academic education as the most important role in occupational and financial status of adolescents in future . In Irans education system, Kar Va Danesh fields are selected due to failure in obtaining good grade point averages which may lead to dissatisfaction of students studying in these fields due to uncertainty towards future employment and social status. This result is in line with previous studies in Iran .
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Distinction From Major Depressive Disorder In Adults
While there are many similarities to adult depression, especially in expression of symptoms, there are many differences that create a distinction between the two diagnoses. Research has shown that when a child’s age is younger at diagnosis, typically there will be a more noticeable difference in the expression of symptoms from the classic signs in adult depression. One major difference between the symptoms exhibited in adults and in children is that children have higher rates of internalization therefore, symptoms of child depression are more difficult to recognize. One major cause of this difference is that many of the neurobiological effects in the brain of adults with depression are not fully developed until adulthood. Therefore, in a neurological sense children and adolescents express depression differently.
A Cry For Help Or Something More
As a parent, I didnt notice the difference between depression and normal 15- and 16-year-old behavior until after the fact, Tracy Peter told the Portland Press Herald. Her son killed himself when he was only 16. What if I had recognized the signs? she wonders. Jurich calls hopelessness and helplessness the Molotov cocktail that triggers teen suicide.
Now lets get to the hope, Borchard says. According to teendepression.org, 80 percent of teens with depression can be successfully treated if they seek the right help. I am part of that statistic. Teen depression doesnt have to mean a lifetime of struggle, and it certainly doesnt have to end in suicide.
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The Relation Between The Incidence Of Depression And Family Characteristics Of Female Students
A significant correlation was obtained between low socio-economic class and depression symptoms in female adolescence. This result may be due to the fact that present study was conducted during economic sanctions imposed against Iran when economic inequality and high risk of poverty existed moreover, low income and severe economic difference was observed in the majority of the study population . Similar results were obtained by other studies . However, the results varied from the reports of Adewuya et al. and Pouretemad et al. . Using different sampling methods, research methodologies, and socioeconomic classifications may be the reasons for the above-mentioned differences.
Results of this study propose that the frequency of depression was not related to the family structure type. This may be explained by the fact that divorce has been criticized by the Iranian culture. Thus, the frequency of students living only with one parent because of divorce or death was almost low . In addition, having a child without being married is very rare in Iran. The result of the present study is consistent with the previous study in which depression was not correlated with death of parents . In this respect, various studies have suggested a relationship between parents status and depression in adolescents . The reason may be that adolescents with single parent required consulting with someone about their feelings.
Depression Symptoms In Teens: Why Todays Teens Are More Depressed Than Ever
After a decline in the 1990s, the number of young people that commit suicide has been increasing every year. While no one can explain exactly why, many experts say adolescents and teens today probably face more pressures at home or school, worry about financial issues for their families, and use more alcohol and drugs. This is a very dangerous time for our young people, Kathy Harms, a staff psychologist at Kansas Citys Crittenton Childrens Center, told the Portland Press Herald. Were seeing more anxiety and depression in children of all ages.
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Recommended Policies Related To The Prevention In Children And Adolescents
The prevention of depression has a wide range of benefits as mental well-being improves educational attainment, reduces school absenteeism and risky behaviours, promotes a healthier lifestyle, and improves social relationships .
The prevention of child and adolescent mental health can take place in various domains, including individual factors as well as social and environmental factors. It can be achieved by the support and action of many diverse sectors such as education, environment and urban planning, justice, and social welfare .
Table 3 describes recommendations for policies and actions for the prevention of depression in children and adolescents.