7.11.06

Teen Depression

Teenagers who are involved in risky behaviors are more likely to suffer from depression.

Adolescents engaging in risk-taking behaviors such as substance abuse and sexual activity were found to have higher levels of depression, according to a new study conducted by the National Institute of Health. Dr. David Decker, assistant professor of psychiatry at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, explains the comparison of boys and girls in the study.

SOUND BITE: "There was a higher correlation for the girls at the low and moderate risk. At the very high risk, I believe they were the same, but the low and moderate risk, I believe the association to depression was higher. That could mean something as simple as boys engage in more risky behaviors in general than girls even when they are not depressed so that they found more boys in the low and moderate risk group, who weren’t depressed simply because boys are more likely to engage in those behaviors."

Dr. Decker says parents can help teens deal with depression by being aware of possible symptoms. Clues to depression include changes patterns of behavior such as sleep disturbance, changes in appetite, weight loss or gain, loss of energy and loss of enjoyment.

SOUND BITE: "One of the things that teenagers do when they are not enjoying themselves is that they work harder to enjoy themselves. And this is where the risk-taking behavior might come in. They might feel depressed and it’s no longer fun to stand in the drive-way and chit-chat with their friends, so they have to go smoke marijuana with their other new friends. Or they have to go drive in a car very fast."

Dr. Decker encourages parents to ask questions if they see an abrupt change in their child’s behavior. Anyone dealing with depression should be seen by their family physician or mental health counselor.

This is Ruth Slottag at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.