KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 — Depression among US teenagers increased by 59 per cent from 2007 to 2017, with teenage girls three times more likely than boys to experience the mood disorder.
Business Insider US reported a Pew Research Center analysis of data from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health that found US teenagers aged between 12 and 17, who said they experienced at least one major depressive episode in 2017, increased by 59 per cent since 2007.
According to Harvard Medical School, the biggest symptom of major depression is “a severe and persistent low mood, profound sadness, or a sense of despair.”
Pew Research Center found that 20 per cent of teen girls experienced a major depressive episode in 2017, compared to 7 per cent of teen boys. However, teen girls were more likely to receive treatment.
The cause of depression might be due to the daily pressures teens face, Business Insider reported.
According to a CDC study, teen years are an important indicator of mental health as young adults.
Overall, depression is on the rise among millennials, said Business Insider.
