MCAT Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior: Passage 14 — Flashcards

Use the following passage to answer questions:

The New York Times notes that 'more than 6 percent of American teenagers are clinically depressed.' There are many different causes of teen depression, a disorder that can be a precursor to teen suicide attempts. Screening for teen depression is crucial and is now performed at the offices of many pediatricians. About 70 percent of teens with depression fail to seek medical treatment or therapy. Thus, parents must be proactive to watch for signs of depression in teens.
Daily life for teenagers is often stressful and causes many teenagers to feel tormented, isolated, and different from others. This stress may be a factor leading to depression. Problems such as bullying, violence, and gossip are part of daily life for teens. Since teens' brains are not yet fully developed, they do not have the logic skills to work through the difficult situations these experiences may create.
Teenagers who have to handle a lot of change in their lives may be more susceptible to bouts of depression. Major life changes such as the divorce of parents, loss of a friend or relationship, death in the family, unemployment of a parent, relocation away from friends, or sudden disability can cause enormous stress for a teenager. Teenagers may overreact to stress and changes in life and may succumb to negative thinking and depression.
If a teenager abuses alcohol or drugs, this may lead to depression. Alcohol is a depressant. Drug use may impair the brain's ability to function properly and impact the hormonal system, which can lead to depression. When depression arises, teens may limit social interaction, let grades drop, attempt suicide, drop out of school, stop participating in school activities, or fight with peers and parents. Teens under stress and using drugs and alcohol are susceptible to negative thinking, which can lead to depression. A. hormones surge in teenagers, they may feel overwhelmed by the changes in their bodies and their moods. They may experience foul moods, may have a hostile attitude, and may be involved in self-destructive acts such as cutting or promiscuous behavior. A teenager often does not understand the mood swings that surging hormones can create. They may become withdrawn and start to experience depression due to feeling out of control of their changing bodies.
Teenagers must work to avoid causes of depression and focus on the positive aspects of life. Ongoing exercise at least three times a week helps prevent depression. It is also helpful to spend time with positive and achievement-oriented friends. Participating in hobbies that bring joy is also helpful to prevent the onset of depression. Other ways to work to prevent depression include getting at least eight hours of sleep a night, avoiding pessimistic thoughts, talking to a doctor or guidance counselor if stressed or in crisis, eating healthy foods and avoiding junk food, avoiding sad music, and avoiding friends who abuse drugs or alcohol.