SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad SIT Digital Collections Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection SIT Study Abroad Spring 2018 The onC tributing Factors to Adolescent Depression Josie H. Lee SIT Study Abroad Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection Part of the Applied Behavior Analysis Commons, Cognition and Perception Commons, Community Health Commons, Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Community Psychology Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Patient Safety Commons, and the Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons Recommended Citation Lee, Josie H., "The onC tributing Factors to Adolescent Depression" (2018). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 2813. https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/2813 This Unpublished Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the SIT Study Abroad at SIT Digital Collections. It has been accepted for inclusion in Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection by an authorized administrator of SIT Digital Collections. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Running head: THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO ADOELSCENT DEPRESSION The Contributing Factors to Adolescent Depression Josie H. Lee Spring 2018 Switzerland: Global Health and Development Policy University of Michigan, Ann Arbor B.A. Community and Global Public Health THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO ADOELSCENT DEPRESSION 2 Abstract Objective: This paper reviews individual, familial, peer, and societal factors influencing adolescent depression in developed countries. Background: Depression usually onsets at adolescence and contributes to high DALYs. Since depression is treatable, efforts should be made to reduce its prevalence and effect. Methods: The research consisted of looking at literature relevant to the topic and age group and conducting interviews with experts who know about and have worked with adolescent depression. Discussion: Adolescents begins at the onset of puberty, allowing different biological factors such as genetics, stress of puberty, and cognitive changes to increase vulnerability to depression. Adolescents who had substance abuse problems and/or held stronger neuroticism personality trait were more susceptibility to depression. Unhealthy familial relations and peer relations was also linked to depression risk. Negative life event often predated depression onset. Living with a parent who had depression increased chances of depression for their offspring. The performance-driven society puts pressure on adolescents that when unable to cope or extrinsically motivated can increase risk of depression. There could be possible risks with social media in centralizing one depression definition, increasing comparing behaviors lowering self-esteem, and difficulty distinguishing true reality. Stigma and lack of adolescent-focused care can prevent adolescents from seeking and getting the help that they need. Conclusion: The paper looked at a few factors that influence depression. Different factors interact changing depression vulnerability. Possible next steps are looking at these factors and how to decrease the risk to improve adolescent depression prevalence. Keywords: mental health, public health, depression, adolescent, human development, developmental psychology, behavioral psychology, cognitive psychology, social psychology, personality, risk factors, family, bullying, suicide, societal factors, performance THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO ADOELSCENT DEPRESSION 3 Acknowledgments I would like to thank Elisabeth Meur and Anne Golaz for their support, advising, and suggestions throughout the research process. I would like to thank Ariel Eytan, Pauli Dagmar, and Christoph Rutishauser for sharing their knowledge and opinions about adolescent depression with me. I would like to thank the University of Michigan library for providing the resources to conduct literature review and research. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO ADOELSCENT DEPRESSION 4 Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... 3 The Contributing Factors to Adolescent Depression ......................................................... 5 Formation of Research Question ........................................................................................ 7 Background ......................................................................................................................... 8 Research Methodology ......................................................................................................11 Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 12 Individual ...................................................................................................................... 12 Biological. ................................................................................................................. 12 Personality................................................................................................................. 14 Substance Abuse ....................................................................................................... 15 Negative Life Event .................................................................................................. 15 Family ........................................................................................................................... 15 Parental Mental Health & Genetics .......................................................................... 16 Peers .............................................................................................................................. 17 Bullying..................................................................................................................... 17 Suicide....................................................................................................................... 19 Societal .......................................................................................................................... 20 Performance-Based ................................................................................................... 20 Social Media ............................................................................................................. 22 Stigma ....................................................................................................................... 23 Lack of Adolescent-Focused Systems ...................................................................... 24 Limitations of This Study ................................................................................................. 24 Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 25 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 26 References ......................................................................................................................... 29 Footnotes ........................................................................................................................... 34 THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO ADOELSCENT DEPRESSION 5 The Contributing Factors to Adolescent Depression Health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (World Health Organization [WHO], 1948). Mental well-being is an aspect of health not as recognized as physical health. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community” (WHO, 2014). In mental health, there can be mental health illness. One mental illness is depression, “a common mental disorder, characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that you normally enjoy, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities, for at least two weeks” (WHO, 2017). Depression is a big issue with 300 million people affected globally. It is a leading cause of disability and can sometimes lead to suicide. Luckily, depression is treatable. (WHO, 2018b). However, around 80% of those 6-18 years of age with a mental health disorder do not receive treatment (Coles et al., 2015). This is a big public health problem. Adolescence is an important time to look at depression for it is a common time of onset. Adolescence is the time period between childhood and adulthood. It usually begins at the onset of puberty to legal adulthood. However, the period of adolescence is a bit grey for the earlier onset of puberty and the different legal definitions of adulthood across different communities (Costello, Erkanli, & Angold, 2011). However, this paper will go by WHO’s definition of adolescence which is the age group between 10-19 years (WHO, 2018a) Most studies show that children depression is less than one percent, but the rate rises in adolescence with probabilities of depression ranging from 5-20% (Thapar et al., 2012). Another study says that “at least one in four adolescents experience symptoms of depression (United THE