The Science behind Teen Depression

Taís Soto Vaca Grade 9

Suicide is thefourthleading cause of death among 15-29 year olds. Suicide is mainly caused by depression, with many of the symptoms of being suicidal being symptoms of depression too, yet little is known in regards to depression.

So what is depression? There are different types of depression however one of the most common types is MDD or major depressive disorder. Major depressive disorder is defined as two weeks of low mood with loss of interest in generally enjoyable activities and decreased self esteem. Characterized by sadness, hopelessness and low self esteem, major depressive disorder has seen a stark increase among adolescents.

Depression, which was often attributed to an abnormality in neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine, is now known to be associated with glutamate and GABA, chemical messengers that regulate mood and emotion. (Neurotransmitters are chemicals that passmessages between nerves.)

One of the leading questions scientists have about depression is what exactly causesit,isit genetics, environmentorboth,andwhatisthe extent that these factors play into developingthisillness.Researchhas found that there are both a nurture andnatureaspecttodepression.One nurture aspect is in early childhood. The brain has a high plasticity level duringchildhood,thereforechildhoodhasahugeimpactonthebrain.Yetdepression affects the plasticity ofthe brain.

Thereforechildhoodabuseandneglectareoftenassociatedwithdepression.Studies conducted on rats have found that with maternal deprivation there is a delay in the hippocampus and deterioration of synaptic transmissions. Another study conducted by the American Journal of Psychiatry followed 3200 siblings in different environments,KennethKendleroneoftheauthorsofthestudystated that “Although majordepressionhasimportant biological andgeneticcomponents,thestudyshows evidence that rearing children in a nurturing environment also matters.”

“As we shift away from a single hypothesis about what causes depression, we are also learning more about the brain as awhole, in all of its complexities;” says Dr. Katz, a Yale Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry that studies the neurobiology of depression. The Neurobiology of depression is the neurobiological basis of depression that involves functional and brain abnormalities. (Merriam Webster defines neurobiology as “a branch of the life sciences that deals with the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the nervous system.”) One of the recent major findings regarding the neurobiology of depression was that metabolic dysfunction, impaired immune response with increasing inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction are involved in depression. Another recent discovery is that major depressive episodes create similar changes in the brain as aging, linking accelerated aging to depression.

Depression was also found to lead to hyperactivity in various parts of the brain such as the amygdala. Said hyperactivity is lowered by antidepressants. Scientists found that depressed youth recognize negative words more so than positive ones when compared to healthy teenagers. Indicating that depression may create a dysfunction in the frontolimbic cortical regions. Other studies have found depressed youth to recognize sad faces more accurately than their healthy peers. This is still not of consensus as some experiments have found that adolescents with MDD recognize emotions less so than their healthy peers. All these studies indicate that depression affectsthe brain negatively,especially the nervous system.

Sohowdoweusethisknowledgetotreat depression?Well,weuseantidepressants, antidepressants increase the activity of neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. Antidepressants relieve symptoms of depression up to 70 percent though the reason for this is still unknown since recent studies have found little relation between serotonin deficiency and depression. Though helpful for some, antidepressants do not work on everyone. Another way depression is treated is through talk therapy or psychotherapy. Therapy is believed to alter brain functions yet depressive psychotherapy is still under studied. What is knownhoweveristhattalktherapyinitiallyrecordedhyperactivityinthelimbicand subcortical regions of the brain, yet with more sessions the same regions reported hypoactivity, so it is a long term type of treatment that requires various sessions. Therapy can also vary some areindividual while others are in groups.

“4.1 million adolescents in the United States have had at least one major depressive episode

- Do Something Organization

Depression, especially teenage depression, is still an understudied subject, with little information available it is difficult to treat this mental illness. Though it is known that depression has negative effects in the brain little is known about its prevention, treatment andcauses.Thisisconcerningseeingas20%ofHighSchool studentsreport having suicidal thoughts. This is why it is necessary to further investigate depression in ordertogarner abetterunderstandingonadolescentmental healthand howitcanbe improved. As well as helping prevent the death of thousands of young adults.

References, further reading, and links

Aliaksandr, M. (2023). 11,590 purple brain images, stock photos & vectors. Shutterstock. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.shutterstock.com/search/purple-brain

Auerbach, R. (2015). Depression in adolescents: Causes, correlates and consequences2.AmericanPsychological Association.RetrievedFebruary17,2023, from https://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2015/11/depression-adolescents

CAMH, . (2012). Antidepressant medications. CAMH. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/mental-illness-and-addictionindex/antidepressant-medications

Clinic Staff, M. (2022, August 12). Teen depression. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/teendepression/symptoms-causes/syc-20350985

Health Organization, W. (2021). Adolescent mental health. World Health Organization. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://www.who.int/newsroom/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health

Henje Blom, E., Ho, T. C., Connolly, C. G., LeWinn, K. Z., Sacchet, M. D., Tymofiyeva, O., Weng, H. Y., & Yang, T. T. (2016, April). The Neuroscience and contextof Adolescent depression.Actapaediatrica(Oslo,Norway:1992).Retrieved February16,2023,fromhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4779656/

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Neurobiology. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/neurobiology

Medicine, Y. (2021, June 17). How depression affects the brain. Yale Medicine. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/neurobiology-depression

Palazidou, E. (2012). The neurobiology of depression. Academic.oup.com. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://academic.oup.com/bmb/article/101/1/127/262645

Rachael Zimlich,R.N.(2020,July14). Nurture may trump nature when it comes to depression risks. Contemporary Pediatrics. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/nurture-may-trump-nature-when-itcomes-to-depression-risks

Writers, M. (2020). About antidepressants. Mind. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-andtreatments/antidepressants/about-antidepressants/

PET scan of the brain for depression. (n.d.).Mayo Clinic. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/pet-scan/multimedia/-petscan-of-the-brain-for-depression/img-20007400

Clinic, T. W. (2021, September 23). Parents in Conflict and the Children Who Live Through the Trauma. The Wave Clinic. Retrieved February 24, 2023, from https://thewaveclinic.com/blog/parents-in-conflict-and-the-children-who-livethrough-the-trauma/

Org, D. S. (2023, January 25). 11 Facts About Depression. DoSomething.org. Retrieved February 24, 2023,from https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-factsabout-depression

Cohen, S. (2022, March 15). Suicide rate highest among teens and young adults. UCLA Health. Retrieved February 24, 2023,from https://www.uclahealth.org/news/suicide-rate-highest-among-teens-and-youngadults

Medicine, J. H. (2023, January 1). Teen Suicide. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved February 24, 2023,from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/teen-suicide