Astonishingly, major depressive disorder affects more than 20 percent of girls and women aged between 15 and 24, while an additional 10 percent experience minor depression. Depressive symptoms and disorders during adolescence have been linked to a number of negative outcomes later in life, including low self-esteem, interpersonal difficulties, divorce, impaired social functioning and problems at work. And it seems the news isn't getting any better, with new studies painting a worrying future of obesity, partner violence and confirmation of a link between treatments and suicidal tendencies. One of the new studies, compiled by University of California researchers led by Jocelyn A. Lehrer, found that teenage girls with symptoms of depression appear to be at a higher risk of physical abuse by their partners later in life. "Depression that occurs during this time of transition may have a particularly significant impact on maturational processes and choices made, generating a trajectory of risk for continued psychosocial impairment and psychopathology," wrote the researchers. According to Lehrer, this was "one more reason to increase efforts in the prevention, identification and treatment of depressive symptomatology among adolescent girls".
As well as the possibility of abusive relationships, depression and anxiety disorders during childhood may be associated with a higher body mass index (BMI) into adulthood for women, according to another study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
The study found that in women, anxiety disorders were associated with higher weight, with average BMI scores an average of 0.15 units higher than women without anxiety disorders. An adult woman with history of an anxiety disorder who had an average height would weigh between 6 to 12 pounds more than a woman without anxiety, explained the researchers. In context, an average-height woman diagnosed with depression at age 14 would weigh about 10 to 16 pounds more than a non-depressed woman by the time both reached age 30 years.
Understanding the social and psychological conditions that are associated with obesity could help predict which children and adolescents are likely to become obese adults, said the researchers. The authors suggest that, "efforts to improve mental health in populations may also help prevent female obesity."
In another study, an analysis of previous clinical trials suggests that antidepressant medications may be linked to an increase in the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children. This link has been suspected for some time and the analysis of past trials showed a higher risk of suicidal ideation and behavior for children taking the drugs compared with those who were not. "When considering 100 treated patients, we might expect one to three patients to have an increase in suicidality beyond the risk that occurs with depression itself owing to short-term treatment with an antidepressant," the researchers said.
But the researchers said parents should not be overly alarmed. "Although there remain differences of opinion in the clinical community about the strength of this signal for antidepressant drug-induced suicidality in pediatric patients…, it is important to be clear that the FDA has not contraindicated any of the antidepressant drugs for pediatric use." they concluded.
Source: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Archives of General Psychiatry
