Feel Good


Today’s Teenagers Showing More Signs of Depression

New study looks at rates of depression now and 10 years ago

BY February 14, 2017

 

Teenagers in America are suffering higher rates of depression than they were nearly a decade ago.

A study in Pediatrics surveyed teenagers and young adults suffering major bouts of depression in 2005 and in 2014. While the rate for adults in their early 20s didn’t increase by a significant amount, the rate for teenagers did jump from 8.7 percent to 11.3 percent.

One possible explanation: increased exposure to social media. One of the researchers noted that young people today, especially girls, are using social media at a higher rate than ever before. This can open them up to instances of cyberbullying, or it could be damaging to their self-esteem if they’re using it to compare themselves to others.

Anyone, not just teenagers, can benefit from taking a social media hiatus if they're finding that it’s only adding to their stress level.

 

 

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