Nearly 75% of Australian Youth Encounter Depression or Anxiety: Research Findings
Click to start listening
Sydney, Dec 18 (NationPress) Nearly 75% of adolescents in Australia encounter clinically significant symptoms of depression or anxiety, a recent study has revealed.
The findings, published on Wednesday by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) in Melbourne, indicate that 74% of young Australians reported experiencing clinically significant symptoms of depression or anxiety at least once during their adolescent years, spanning ages 10 to 18.
Over 1,200 children from Melbourne participated in the study, with their symptoms of depression and anxiety monitored from 2012 to 2019.
Among these participants, 64% experienced chronic depression or anxiety, indicating they reported symptoms three or more times throughout their adolescence.
Girls were found to be at a higher risk, with 84% reporting symptoms of depression or anxiety at least once, compared to 61% of boys, according to the Xinhua news agency.
Lead author of the study, Ellie Robson from MCRI, expressed concern over the results, highlighting that mental health issues during adolescence can lead to serious long-term health effects.
“These findings are striking, especially considering how many young individuals experienced symptoms over multiple years of the study and the significant impact that depression and anxiety symptoms can have on young people's functionality and long-term health outcomes,” she stated in a media release.
The study also revealed that the emergence of depression and anxiety symptoms among adolescents increased during periods of educational stress, such as transitions from primary to secondary school, examination periods, and the conclusion of compulsory education.
Co-author Susan Sawyer noted that these findings represent the highest cumulative incidence of mental disorder symptoms ever recorded among adolescents in any nation.
The research team is set to further investigate the implications of reported symptoms on the health and functional outcomes of today’s adolescents.
Additionally, a separate study released last week indicated that developing antidepressant medications targeting gut cells may pave the way for effective treatments for mood disorders, including depression and anxiety.
“While antidepressants like Prozac and Zoloft that elevate serotonin levels are essential first-line treatments and assist many patients, they can sometimes result in side effects that patients find intolerable,” said Mark Ansorge, Associate Professor of Clinical Neurobiology at Columbia University Vagelos.
Ansorge mentioned that the study published in the journal Gastroenterology proposes that restricting these medications to interact solely with intestinal cells could mitigate these issues.
Moreover, the team emphasized that this novel approach may benefit pregnant women, ensuring no exposure to the child.
Antidepressants that increase serotonin (known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs) have been the primary pharmacological treatments for anxiety and depression for over 30 years, but are known to cross the placenta and contribute to mood, cognitive, and gastrointestinal issues later in childhood.
Conversely, failing to treat depression during pregnancy “also poses risks to the children,” Ansorge remarked. “An SSRI that specifically increases serotonin in the intestine could serve as a better alternative.”
