There are multiple causes of severe depression in adolescents and young adults, including the loss of loved ones, social isolation, major changes in life, and trauma caused by abuse or interpersonal relationships.
Today’s teenagers also face problems that future generations did not know. Social networking is a major source of anxiety and stress for adolescents. When teenagers compare their lives with the lives of followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, they feel frustrated and inadequate. In addition, scientists have discovered a correlation between the use of smartphones and depression in adolescents. Excessive use of technology can damage relationships, education, and extracurricular activities.
Many teenagers experience academic pressure in school. In addition, uncertain economic conditions and fierce competition from universities and graduate degrees exacerbate this pressure.
Teenagers often live their first love relationship in high school or college. Although this is an important part of adolescent development, adolescent relationships can also be an emotional challenge.
Today’s young people have weaker adaptability. Parents try to protect them from failure and disappointment which hinders them from learning how to effectively face life’s challenges. Consequently, adolescents often have little opportunity to develop their adaptive capacity and resiliency when faced with adversity.
The brain is still growing during adolescence; the prefrontal cortex of adolescents is immature and this part of the brain controls self-regulation. Therefore, their ability to control impulses is limited. This leads to dangerous behaviors during adolescence, such as drug abuse and unsafe sexual choices.
According to a survey of 10,000 students in 13 institutions in Washington in the last two to four years, nearly one-third of people reported depression last year, with 26% reporting anxiety and more than 10% reporting anxiety. Have suicidal thoughts. Nearly four-fifths of college students report that emotional distress can have a negative impact on their academic performance.
These statistics reflect national data on university depression. In the United States, suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 34. Among young people between the ages of 18 and 25, 8.3% have serious suicidal thoughts.
Sources:
Https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/college-students#2
Http://www.washington.edu/news/2018/01/30/depression-anxiety-affect-more-than-one-fourth-of-states-college-students/
