Teenage Depression

The fact that teenage depression has become very common today compared to more than two decades ago explain how behavioral factors affect the mental health of a person more than chemical imbalances, and other biological factors.

The needs of growing adolescents are not just biological. Young adults are in the process of seeking for companionship, identity, and meaning. Times like these have shown them that living is all about how you look, what you should be and what you have. Everything is about material affluence. People are seen highly based on their appearance, prestige and fortune.

In Australia their was a study done on depression in the state of Western Australia, the study had 400 children aged 9 to 12 doing this. 16 where classed clinically depressed while 112 others are vulnerable to depression. In the same research, it was found out that depressed children believe that happiness can be achieved through fame, beauty and money. Those who were not diagnosed with depression believe that pursuing a good cause and having a healthy attitude towards life can make them happy.

The pressure to achieve all that is expected of them causes the teenager to be depressed especially once they get disappointed and frustrated with all the challenges that come along. Peer pressure or the need to conform is one factor that causes teenagers to feel bad about themselves and about life in general. When they can no longer tolerate such pressure, they tend to feel unimportant, inadequate or deprived. Of course, teenage depression still depends on the cognition of the individual but mostly, it is the behavioral factor that needs to be addressed.

Besides, our thoughts are merely concretized deeds. It is difficult to control our minds, but our actions are more tangible. At the same time, it is not what we think that can hurt us, but what we do. This applies greatly on teenage depression.