Sad teenage girls are becoming more so.

AuthorPuterbaugh, Dolores T.
PositionPsychology - Column

THE STATISTICS on the rate of depression among teenagers vary from five percent to 28%, depending on the source, with there being some agreement that about 15%-18% seem to exhibit some symptoms of depression at any given time. The rate for girls is about twice that for boys.

There is no one, magical explanation for this phenomenon, any more than there is one definition of depression. A syndrome diagnosed via checklist, it expresses itself in symptoms that may contradict between one case and another. One person is agitated and restless; another is lethargic or even catatonic. One loses weight; the other packs on pounds. There are many symptoms and, of those, most, if not all, can occur for a myriad of physical and emotional reasons. Depression is a pervasive alteration in mood lasting two weeks or more; it is accompanied by changes in many areas of internal experience and external behaviors. These may include crying, moodiness, irritability, and anxiety. You may notice changes in hygiene, sleep, or appetite. The teen may seem agitated or, conversely, fold up and withdraw into a boundlessly sullen ennui.

One important factor to consider is the modern lifestyle, with its destructive capacity towards health. Good health in mind and body requires certain ingredients and many Americans perversely are resistant towards them. Teenagers are no exception. Generally, good health requires, among other things: at least an hour of physical activity daffy; good nutrition, including adequate doses of certain essential fatty acids where permitted by a physician; exposure to bright light in the earlier part of the day and not late at night; and sufficient good-quality sleep. Our theoretical healthy teenager, then, gets at least an hour of vigorous daily activity, is out in bright light early in the day, and not watching television, using computers or smart phones, etc., at night in the hours before bed. This teen gets eight or nine hours of sleep nightly, and eats a healthy diet that contains about 1,000 milligrams of EPA (eicosapentanoic) and 500 mg of DHA (docosahexaenoic) essential fatty acids, best ingested through food like salmon, but probably obtained through supplements.

Even if this teen exists, there is more potential trouble. Birth control pills can cause depression, and about 23% of teenage girls who are sexually active report using these medications; the rate for white teens is about 31%, and about 10%-11% for Hispanic and African-American...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT