Mental health professionals have long wondered about the relationship family obligation and depression in adolescents. An article published in Medical News Today June 5, 2009, “Risk Of Teenage Depression Symptoms Lowered By Family Obligation In Chinese Homes,” examines this issue. The article reports on a new study published in the Journal of Family Psychology. The researchers studied, “….218 Chinese-American teenagers over a two-year period caring for siblings or helping elders.” The results of the study were interesting. The researchers found that “…..14-year-olds who reported a greater sense of family obligation reported fewer depressive symptoms by the time they reached 16…..As participants grew older, their actions to help and support their families decreased. However, their attitude and respect toward their families remained stable, indicating that immigrant adolescents continue to endorse their traditional cultural values even when their behaviors suggest they are becoming less traditional.” There are several important implications of this study. First, parent of adolescents should require that their children be involved and engaged in the care their family members. Second, school professionals should give adolescents opportunities to assist their younger schoolmates. Third, day care providers should attempt to hire adolescents for summer jobs caring for smaller children. Fourth, mental health professionals who are treating depressed adolescents should encourage them to become involved in the care of family members. And, fifth, public health professionals should educate the parents of adolescents about the benefits of their children being involved in the care of family members
The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest that adolescents who care for family members significantly reduce the risk of depression.
Reference: Original article
Additional Sources of Information:
Check out The Parent's Guide to Understanding Adolescent Depression authored by Dr. Jeff and Dr. Tanya and now available in a great informational website hosted by Squidoo.com. Below is a sneak preview of the website's Table of Contents:
- The Definition of Adolescence
- The Definition of Depression
- What Increases the Risk of Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults?
- Does Using Placebos Harm Adolescents with Depression?
- Are Anxious and Depressed Teens and Adults the Same or Different?
- Frequently asked questions about the treatment of children and adolescents with depression and other psychiatric disorders
- Great Youtube Video on Understanding Adolescent Depression
- Great Youtube Video on What Adolescent Depression Looks Like
- Great Youtube Video on the Causes of Adolescent Depression
- Great Youtube Video on Understanding Adolescent Depression and Suicide
- Five Great Books on Adolescent Depression
- Add to Amazon's List of Great Books on Adolescent Depression
- Great Flickr Photos on Serenity for Adolescent Mental Health and Wellness
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- Links to Dr. Jeff's and Dr. Tanya"s Best Blogposts on Adolescent Mental Disorders
- The Best Parent Resource Guide on Teen Mental Health
- Great Articles Authored by Dr. Jeffrey Speller and Dr. Tanya Korkosz about Adolescent Depression and other Mental Disorders
- More Informative Articles by Dr. Jeffrey Speller and Dr. Tanya Korkosz about Adolescent Depression and Other Disorders
- Dr. Jeff's and Dr. Tanya's Weblog on Adolescent Depression and Other Disorders
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Great Youtube Videos on Tips on How To Maintain Your Mental Health and Adolescent Depression:
Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:
- Stress and the Human Brain
- Early Life Stress and the Immune System
- The Facts About Major Depressive Disorder
- The Parent's Guide to Understanding Adolescent Depression
Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Depression, Youtube
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