Almost Three Quarters of Adolescents Experience Depression or Anxiety

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by EurekAlert!

Almost three quarters of adolescents in Australia experience clinically significant depression or anxiety symptoms, with most being chronic, according to a new study. And preventive strategies outside our clinics are urgently required to address this considerable public health problem facing the nation.

The research, led by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and published in The Lancet Psychiatry, found mental health problems were frequently chronic with 64 per cent reporting symptoms three or more times across their adolescent years.

MCRI Dr Ellie Robson said the rate and recurrence of depression and anxiety symptoms were concerning given mental health problems during adolescence had serious consequences across the lifespan.

“These are striking findings, particularly given how many young people experienced symptoms over multiple years of the study and how much depression and anxiety symptoms can affect young people’s functioning and can have long-lasting negative health outcomes,” she said.

For the study 1,239 children from Melbourne enrolled in the Child to Adult Transition Study (CATS) had their symptoms of anxiety and depression tracked every year from 10 to 18 years of age.

Girls were at increased risk with 84 per cent compared to 61 per cent of boys having depression or anxiety symptoms at least once during adolescence. Girls were also more likely to have a chronic course at 72 per cent and 49 per cent, respectively.

The onset of anxiety and depression symptoms increased at times that coincided with educational stress such as the primary to secondary school transition, exam periods and the end of compulsory education.  Three quarters of participants who struggled with mental health problems during the COVID-19 years already had symptoms, highlighting factors beyond the pandemic stressors.

Source: EurekAlert!
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1068330