What Increases the Risk of Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults?

Mental health professionals have long debated about whether adolescent TV watching increases the risk of depression in adolescents when they become young adults. A article published in HealthDay News January 26, 2009, “Adolescent TV Time Affects Adult Risk of Depression” examines this issue.The article reports on two studies published in the February 2009 issues of the Archives of General Psychiatry and the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. The researchers studied the electronic media exposure of 4,142 and 93,297 subjects. “In the first study, [the researchers] studied the electronic media exposure of 4,142 non-depressed adolescents who were assessed for depression over seven years of follow-up, and found that greater television time was associated with higher odds of developing depression as young adults.” In the second study the researchers “..conducted a study of 93,297 students (aged 15 years) from 31 largely European and North American countries and regions, and found that the more evenings the subjects spent out with their friends, the more likely they were to use cannabis.”  The researchers conclude that “There is a great need to learn more about the nature of evenings out with friends and related factors that might explain changes in adolescent cannabis use over time….Because there are many benefits to adolescent social interaction, it is important to determine how best to foster it without unduly increasing exposure opportunities for cannabis use." Based of our experience and expertise in treating adolescent substance abusers and depressed young adults, we offer several tips for parents First, parents should significant limit the amount of time that adolescents spend watching TV to two hours a day during the week and three hours a day during the weekend. Second, parents who suspect that their adolescent child is exhibiting the signs and symptoms of depression or engaging in the use and abuse of cannabis should seek an evaluation from a qualified mental health profession. Third, parents with adolescents who have been diagnosed with depression and/or a substance abuse problem should seek treatment from a qualified medical professional who can provide appropriate counseling, psychotherapy, and medication if necessary. Fourth, parents should know who their adolescents are socializing with and educate their adolescents about the dangers in the use of cannabis.

The Bottom Line: The results of these studies strongly support the conclusions that excessive TV watching in adolescence increases the risk of developing depression as an young adult and that adolescent socializing with friends increases the risk of cannabis use.

Resources:

How to improve your understanding of depression. View this top rated video from Youtube:

Ten Great Books on Depression

1. Anxiety & Depression Workbook For Dummies (For Dummies (Psychology & Self Help)) (Paperback) by Charles H., PhD Elliott (Author), Laura L., PhD Smith (Author), Aaron T., MD Beck (Author)
2. Depression for Dummies (Paperback) by Laura L., PhD Smith (Author), Charles H., PhD Elliott (Author)
3. Overcoming Depression One Step at a Time: The New Behavioral Activation Approach to Getting Your Life Back (New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook) (Paperback) by Michael E., Ph.D. Addis (Author), Christopher R. Martell (Author)
4. Overcoming Depression: A Step-by-Step Approach to Gaining Control Over Depression (Paperback) by Paul Gilbert(Author)
5. Overcoming Depression, 3rd edition by Demitri Papolos (Paperback - Jan 10, 1997)
6. Overcoming Depression (Victory Over the Darkness) by Neil T. Anderson and Joanne Anderson (Paperback - Jul 2004)
7. Woman's Guide to Overcoming Depression, A by Archibald Hart and Catherine Hart Weber (Mass Market Paperback - Nov 1, 2007)
8. Overcoming Anxiety and Depression: Practical Tools to Help You Deal with Negative Emotions by Bob Phillips (Paperback - Aug 15, 2007)
9. Overcoming Depression (Overcoming) by Paul Gilbert (Paperback - May 25, 2000)
10. Overcoming Anxiety, Panic, and Depression: New Ways to Regain your Confidence by James Gardner, Arthur H. Bell (Paperback - Feb 1, 2005)

Twelve Resource and Support Groups for Depression

1. Broken Smiles 
2. Journey Towards Freedom
3. Depression Forums
4. Depression Boards  
5. Depression Resources
6. Depression Understood  
7. Depressionsupport1  
8. Yahoo Depression Support Groups
9. The Depression Support Group
10. Depression and Bipolar Support
11. Alliance
12. Families for Depression Awareness

Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:

• Stress and the Human Brain
• Early Life Stress and the Immune System

Sources: National Institute of Mental Health, See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Depression, Youtube

Reference: HealthDay News January 26, 2009, “Adolescent TV Time Affects Adult Risk of Depression."

Additional Resources:

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Dr. Jeffrey Speller

Dr. Tanya Korkosz

Psychopharmacology Associates of New England

www.psychopharmassociates.com