Feelings of isolation and loneliness, as well as associated anxiety and depression, is growing among our young people everywhere – and the most unusual.
The shocking information published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2023 showed that nearly 60% of teenagers felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021.
The problem is hardly limited to the United States or to North America.
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Revealed a deeply important child for the transitional studio of adolescents, recently published in Lancet Psychiatry-first long-term studio- depression and anxiety Near two -thirds of those who studied in Melbourne, Australia, most of them anywhere.
In this study, which is from Murdoch Research Children’s Institute (McRi) In Melbourne, 64% of respondents reported at least three episodes of anxiety or depression during their teenage years.
A recently published study from Murdoch Research Children’s Institute (MCRI) in Melbourne revealed that 64% of adolescent respondents reported at least three episodes of anxiety or depression during their teenage years. (Mcri)
It has been discovered that girls are much more likely to have chronic or permanent symptoms (84% compared to 61% in boys).
About 1,239 children were studied (enrolled at the age of 8 in 2012), and their symptoms were carefully monitored at the age of 10 to 18.
This was the first main study to follow anxiety and depression longitudinally and the first to show that periods of exacerbation of anxiety or depression are related to turning points such as graduates from elementary or high school – the time of great changes in UA Child’s support structure.
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Dr. Susan M. Sawyer – the famous adolescent pediatrician, the leader of the Adolescents’ Health Center at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, and chairman of adolescent health at the University of Melbourne and the Royal Children’s Hospital – spoke to me from Melbourne in a recent interview. (Watch the video at the top of this article.)
Emphasized that the reason for a reported increase in anxiety partly reflects the rise in The literacy of mental health.
Dr. Susan M. Sawyer, a well -known health expert adolescent and a pediatrician based in Australia, talked about the first major study that followed anxiety and depression longitudinally with adolescents. It has shown that the worsening period of anxiety or depression is associated with the main turning points in children, such as graduates at school. (Mcri)
“There are more literacy of mental health these days, which leads to more reporting on symptoms,” she said. “And adolescents have a greater ability to recognize stress and emotional trouble from us and have a language to sign up. The stigma is much smaller, which is healthy.”
Sawyer said she thought they were increased rates Anxiety and depression At the age of 12 to 13, the studies perceived in the study are probably due to a combination of puberty, along with the stress of moving to high school.
“Adolescence is a time to discover how to get emotional control.”
Also, “girls are more likely to explore their emotions at this age,” she said.
Older group, called the second cluster, held at graduation from high school; Emotional symptoms were measured in such characteristic answers as “fear”, “woke up frightened” and “feared something bad would happen to me.”
“Adolescence is a time to discover how to get emotional control,” Sawyer said. “It’s time to seek support for mental health.” Fastened upper lip ” [older] generations were not healthy. “
“The more time spent on social media, the more lonely and less connected [people are]”said an expert in the health of adolescents.” We need a system to delay approaching young people on social networks. “ (East)
Unfortunately, as Sawyer pointed out, the resources for intervention remain limited in Australia, the USA around the world.
AND Covid Pandemia He clearly played a role in worsening anxiety among our teenagers; Still, the CATS study based in Melbourne – where there was one of the most difficult pandemic locks – revealed that she had contributed only to about 25% of anxiety and depression reported.
The problem existed before the pandemic – and now it’s worse.
Concern about social media
So what role is the social media play? Concerns are big enough in Australia to install a ban on social media for all those under the age of 16, for which Sawyer and other experts say they probably won’t work.
“It’s hard to implement,” she said.
“And we still need more evidence, although it is clear that the more time spent on social media, the lonely it is and less connected [people are]. We need some system to delay young people on social networks, “she added.
Further exploration of the role of social media is ongoing on McRi -u Australia. (East)
“And we have to focus on the need for their development of independent skills, standing [their] They own two meters without a phone. Our children need a much safer place than social media. “
Further exploration of the role of social media is underway in McRi. In the meantime, children are not allowed They throw out their phones in schools throughout Australia.
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“The social media is a two -blade sword,” said Dr. Sawyer.
“On the one hand, a group that is socially vulnerable and unrelated to the Sukoga situation can be associated with the peers of like -minded people and became connected by social media,” she said.
“Prevention, more attention to the physical environment, more of nature, becomes less sitting, rethinking opportunities, focusing on the benefit of the right path forward.” (East)
“But on the other hand, more time spent on distant communities is not good for young people’s health. It is excessively exposed to pornography, sex, gambling And mistreatment. We have to do something to help our youth to separate. “
Well, what is a long -term cure for an epidemic of anxious depressing children and their parents when we have to “prioritize clinical services, but we cannot provide enough answers”?
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Sawyer said the focus must be prevention.
“Clinical responses must be overshadowed by prevention. Schools must be important environments for stress health and well -being “To build greater orientation on mental health,” she said.
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“There is a risk of glamorurizing the problem of mental health. But prevention, more attention to the physical environment, more nature, becomes less sitting, rethinking opportunities, focusing on benefit is the right path forward.”
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