Mental health professionals have long debated about how depressed adolescents express their emotions. A article published in Medical News Today, 12 May 2009, “Teen Depressives Are Less Expressive, “ examines this issue. The article reports on a study published recently in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology. The researchers “….looked at the emotion regulation strategies of 44 teenagers aged 12 to 16 with a high level of depressive symptoms and compared them to the strategies of 44 adolescents with no symptoms.” The results were interesting. “…..the teenagers with symptoms of depression suppressed the expression of their emotions significantly more than their non-depressed peers. The teenagers with no depressive symptoms instead reported high levels of 'cognitive reappraisal' - these teenagers were able to think about potentially negative events and re-frame them in a more positive way. For example, rather than seeing a poor assignment grade as a sign of failure, they would see it as a way to improve their future performance. “ There are several important implications of this study. First, parents who experience their adolescents becoming less emotionally expressive should alert to the possibility that their child may be developing a depressive disorder. These parents should consult with the child’s PCP to determine the most appropriate next step. Second, teachers who perceive one of their adolescent students becoming more withdrawn and less emotionally expressive should inform the student’s guidance counselor about the child’s behavior. Third, public health professionals and mental health advocates should do more to educate the general public and especially the parents of adolescent children about the signs and symptoms of adolescent depression.
The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly support the idea depressed adolescents are less expressive of their emotions.
Reference: The 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
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- Dr. Jeff's and Dr. Tanya's Weblog on Adolescent Depression and Other Disorders
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Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General and Psychiatric Disorders: Depression, Youtube
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