Depression has achieved epidemic proportions. A recent study by a researcher at Rutgers University-Camden shows that a rising number of adolescents suffer from it in the U.S. Worse, they remain untreated. This means more awareness programs need to be created. The researcher’s from the university feel enhanced educational programs and upping of service capacities can be a solution.
The research finds that older adolescents, girls, and those with single mothers are more prone to depression.
Ironically, their data showed that adolescents with somewhat lenient parents are highly susceptible to depression. Further, they typically do not receive medication or treatments.
The report thoroughly studies the various trends about the mental malady. To that end, it factors in various things. Those include the triggers. It also examines the disparities in mental health services in the U.S.
Depression Often Leads to Suicides in Children
The researcher named Wenhua Lu finds that major depression is a serious health condition. It can even lead to suicides. It often claims lives of children between 10 and 19 years of age. This is because depression often remains undiagnosed and untreated in this age group. This has far-reaching ramification with respect to health.
In order to conduct the study, Lu examined data of adolescents. The adolescents were between ages of 12 and 17. All the adolescents partook in the yearly National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The survey is from the year 2011 to 2016.
Lu discovered that the occurrence of depression among adolescents has been steadily rising annually. But the usage of mental health services has been unchanged over the years.
