Teenage Depression
Unlike feeling sad for a short period, depression is a serious mental illness,
which needs medical and psychological treatment. Depression often begins in the
teens. According to a national survey conducted in 2002, the depression rate among
teenagers increased dramatically since 14 years old. (Sherry Glied, 2002) Teenage
depression has bad influences on teenager’ school behavior, social life and future
career. That’s why I want to build the video game Yue to help teenage girls be more
confidence and less depressed. In this chapter, I’ll discuss causes, symptoms and
influences of teenage depression. Since my game is based on cognitive behavior
therapy, I’ll also introduce the method and principle of CBT.
1.The causes and consequences of teenage depression
Family influences the psychological well being of teenagers most. Many
researches prove the relation between parent divorce and teenage depression.
There are three factors in family that are related to teenage depression: family
conflict, economic hardship and family disorganization. Family conflict and family
disorganization exit in both divorced family and intact family. Youths in divorced
families are slightly more depressed than those in intact families due to the
increasing conflicts and disorganization during the divorcing process. Single parent
families face more economic hardship than intact and remarried families. Youths in
single parent families often reported more negative events, personal stresses than
other kids. Medical sociologist Robert Aseltine states in his paper Pathways Linking
Parental Divorce With Adolescent Depression that “ youths living with a single parent
following the divorce are significantly more depressed than the youths in both intact
and remarried families” because of the financial difficulties in single-parent families
(Robert H. Aseltine 139).
Family poverty is a major factor that may lead to teenage depression. In
Sociologist Jack Najman’s study about the relationship between family poverty and
adolescent depression, 2609 mothers in Brisbane, Australia were asked about their
total annual household income during pregnancy, 3 to 5 days after the child’s birth
and when the child was 6 months, 5 years and 14 years old. And children’s anxiety
and depression were assessed by a Youth Self-Report questionnaire when they are
14-year old and 21- year old. The study shows that children who experiences
poverty repeatedly are 3.2 times more possible of experiencing anxiety and
depression than kids who grew up in financially stable families. The study also
found a linear association between the number of times of family poverty and the
rate of anxiety and depression experienced by adolescent. (Jack Najman 1721)
Family poverty may reduce child’s self-confidence, because teenagers are sensitive
to judgments from peers. The unstable family financial status will cause the
insecurity of child. Kids who continuously worried about family’s income are
obviously facing more stresses than peer. Professor Najman’s study also shows that
poverty experienced shortly after birth is not related to subsequent depression. It’s
poverty that experienced during child’s adolescent period that influences
depression level most. This is probably because infants and small children are not
able to realize family financial problems. While teenagers start to pay attention to
college funds, brand clothes and living conditions. Teenagers in poor family may feel
stressed and depressed when compare themselves with other teenagers. They will
also feel powerless about family poverty, since people can not choose the family
they are born into.
Some extreme life events, such as physical abuse, sexual abuse also causes
teenage depression. According to a survey conducted by professor Sherry Glied in
2002, almost one fourth of girls who have been either physical abused or sexual
abused met criteria for depression. And histories of extremely stressful life events
significantly increase the depression rate in both girls and boys (Sherry Glied 1011).
Family plays a vital role in the formation of teenager’s personality. These unpleasant
life events have long-term influence in teenagers’ psychological development. The
children who have been abused also have relationship difficulties, which will
worsen the depression symptoms.
Depression has many short-term and long-term influences in teenager’s life.
Teenagers who are suffering depression often have more absence from school,
declining grades and more suicidal ideation. They are also more possible to have
alcohol and drug problems. According to a national survey conducted by Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2004, about half of the
depressed teenagers had suicidal thoughts and plans. Suicide is the second leading
cause of death in youth ages 15 to 24.
The long-term influences of teenage depression are intimate relationship and
childbearing problems. In psychologist U. Jonsson’s study, 631 participants who
were involved in an investigation of adolescent depression in 1991-1993
participated in a 15 years follow-up study about their personal lives. According to
the study, participants who were previous depressed shows more possibility of
getting divorced, being single parent, having abortion, experiencing intimate
partner violence and carrying sexually transmitted disease. (U jonsson 712) Many
depressed teenagers have disruptive disorder and communication problems, which
will cause intimate relationship problems. The consequences of teenage depression,
such as single parenthood, divorcing and partner violence may cause mental
problems in the next generation. Without treatment and early interfere, the
influences of depression will last for a long time.
2.Cognitive behavior therapy
Work Cited
Consequences and Correlates of Adolescent Depression, Sherry Glied, Daniel S. Pine,
2002
Robert H. Aseltine, University of Massachusetts ,Pathways Linking Parental Divorce
With Adolescent Depression, Journal of Health and Social Behavior 1996, Vol. 37(
JUne): 133-148.
Jake M. Najman, PhD, FASSA, Mohammad R. Hayatbakhsh, MD, PhD, Alexandra
Clavarino, PhD, William Bor, DPM, MBBS, FRANZCP, Family Poverty Over the Early
Life Course and Recurrent Adolescent and Young Adult Anxiety and Depression: A
Longitudinal Study, September 2010, Vol 100, No. 9,American Journal of Public
Health.
Sherry Glied, PhD, Daniel S Pine, MD, Consequences and Correlates of Adolescent
Depression, 2002.
U. Jonsson, H. Bohman, A. Hjern, L. von Knorring, A. Paaren, G. Olsson, A.-L. von
Knorring, Intimate relationships and childbearing after adolescent depression: a
population-based 15 year follow-up study, Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol, 2011.