The Negative Effects Of Teenage Depression

What is Depression and how does it affect teenagers? Depression, also known as Major Depressive Disorder is a common medical illness that negatively affects how one feels, acts and/ or thinks. (“Teen Mental Health”, 2018) states, “In a one-year period, approximately 7 percent of people will experience Depression. It is most common in women and in young adults, and the first episode often begins in the teen years or early adulthood.” Although Depression is common throughout society, it is different than feeling sad or down; one who deals with depression can not simply ‘snap out of it’. Symptoms may be different in regards to the serverness of the Depression and the person dealing with it. This disorder can create challenges for an individual

(“Teen Depression and School Performance”, 2015) states, “There’s a clear relationship between adolescent depression and how well a teen does in school. In fact, lower grades might be the first noticeable sign of depression. Research indicates that adolescents who suffer from depression are less likely to graduate.” This simply means that an important key factor when trying to understand Depression and the negative effects it has, you can start by looking at the person's work ethics and how it affects their grades. To further this point, after conducting surveys at St. Jean De Brebeuf Catholic High School, it was evident that students who are not depressed were more likely to achieve a higher average than those who are or circled unspecified, when asked if they were depressed. This is relevant to the question of “What is Depression and how does it affect teenagers?” because it clearly shows the negative effects it has on a person and in a way it further explains what Depression

(Depression and Anhedonia”, 2009) states, “Anhedonia is one of the main symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD). It is the loss of interest in previously rewarding or enjoyable activities. People suffering from clinical depression lose interest in hobbies, friends, work”. This simply shows that when someone is dealing with Depression it makes them unable to show interest in things they were once interested in, making it harder to look at things positively and find pleasure in the good things in life. To prove this point, a professor named Aaron Heller did a study of the brain to show that individuals with Depression have a less positive response to certain things than someone without Depression. (Depression and Anhedonia”, 2009) examines what Aaron Heller did by explaining, “1. In response to positive images, the depressed brains didn't sustain NA activation as well as the normal brains did--no matter how hard they tried. 2. Difficulties sustaining activity in the NA were associated with reduced activity in the PFC. 3. Those depressed persons who couldn't sustain NA activity reported less positive emotional responses to the pleasurable pictures.4. Those depressed subjects who were better able to sustain NA activity also reported higher levels of positive emotion in their everyday lives.5. The deficit in sustaining NA activity was specific to positive emotion.” This