Running head: TEENAGE DEPRESSION 1

The Relationship between Teenage Depression and Poor Study Habits

Name

Institution
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The Relationship between Teenage Depression and Poor Study Habits

Most people usually refer to the teen years or adolescence as the single most trivial

period in a person’s life. The adolescent period, especially for college students tends to be

marked with relatively high levels of insecurity, stress, and anxiety. It is at this period that

teenagers start seeking approval from the community as well as their family members – most of

which involves better performance in school (Tagliamonte, 2016). Most people try to emphasize

the importance of a teenager's life as these individuals tend to be very fragile due to their

troubled state of mind, and thus try to seek approval from other people and the community at

large. The present and past studies have shown that most college students face depressive illness.

Beiter et al. (2015) stated that out of every five college students, one suffers from anxiety or

depression (Beiter, Nash, McCrady, Rhoades, Linscomb, Clarahan, and Sammut, 2015).

Furthermore, the journal of affective disorders indicated that more than 50 percent of

college students have reported cases of depression at some point during their college years.

Several factors causing depression include sleep deprivation, genetics, hormonal changes, and

situational changes such as the loss of loved ones. Studies show that the average sleep-length for

most college students is about 6.50 hours per 24-hour period (Beiter et al., 2015). Kilic et al.

(2018) found that college students who attain less sleep tend to be psychologically unhealthy

(Kilic, Karatas, Dönmez‐Demir, Eren‐Kocak, Gursoy‐Ozdemir, Can, and Dalkara, 2018). He,

therefore, concluded that since college students do not have enough sleeping hours are sensitive

to develop depression. Besides, busy college schedules and hectic daily lives of students also

contribute to the accumulation of depression. As a result, these factors lead to nightmares and

insomnia symptoms – eventually leading to poor study behavior. To understand how teenage

depression influences study behavior, it is essential to explore the environment these teenagers
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live in. Changes occurring in the mind and body of a teenager may lead to a state of confusion,

insecurity, therefore exposing the individual to the dangers of dwindling into depression.

Methodology

Participants

The purpose of the study was to figure out the relationship between teenage depression and poor

studying habits. Student researchers recently surveyed on the topic. Approximately 200 students

were randomly chosen from four state universities including Massachusetts Institute of

Technology, Clemson University, New York University, and Boston University – 50 students

from each institution.

Study Materials

The researchers adopted the use of self-administering questionnaires during the study.

Procedures

Obtaining primary data involved the selection of undergraduate college students from four

different colleges who were provided with self-administrative questionnaires. The researchers

used these materials to get more accurate information as well as a more profound definition of

each study unit. The questionnaires were meant to measure both individual’s sensitivity to

depression and their current study habits.

Design

Researchers used dependent, and independent variables during the study. The dependent variable

is study habits portrayed by teenage students, whereas depression is the independent variable.

Study habits would be affected through manipulation of the stress levels. The researchers

followed all research ethics as each participant was required to fill in a consent form. The

participants were also informed about how the study would be conducted; anyone who wanted to
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quit would have been given a chance. Repetitive studies were performed on the same sample

group for three semesters to determine the dependability of seasonally unique feature proposed

in the research hypothesis. Researchers ensured that the survey never coincided with any special

activities during the school year.

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References

Beiter, R., Nash, R., McCrady, M., Rhoades, D., Linscomb, M., Clarahan, M., & Sammut, S.

(2015). The prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety, and stress in a sample of

college students. Journal of Affective Disorders, 173, 90-96.

Kilic, K., Karatas, H., Dönmez‐Demir, B., Eren‐Kocak, E., Gursoy‐Ozdemir, Y., Can, A., &

Dalkara, T. (2018). Inadequate brain glycogen or sleep increases spreading depression

susceptibility. Annals of Neurology, 83(1), 61-73.

Tagliamonte, S. (2016). Teen talk: The language of adolescents. Cambridge University Press.