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Carolina Mull

Prof Johnson

English 1201

July 9 2020

Literature Review

Why is it that the teenage/high school years are often shown to be the worst mentally?

This question has been weighing on my mind for quite some time now and it is the same

question many others often ask as well. Overtime it appears that different forms of teenage

depression have spiked in today’s youth, which gives room to question why it is that young

adults and teens experience this the most out of all the other age groups. Even adults now

will look back on their high school years and have strong opinions against ever wanting to

repeat it because they had such a hard time. Figuring out the root of this worldwide illness

seen in kids could provide a much better understanding and help many who struggle with

depression while in high school.

Depression can be caused by many different factors such as trauma, a toxic home life,

bulling, or having a chemical imbalance in the brain. Depression stemmed from bulling is

often one of the most talked about causes of depression in teens in high school, but not

enough attention is brought to the other causes. Many do not even know that being born with

a chemical imbalance in the brain can cause depression for some struggling teens who feel

that they have no reason to feel sad and are frustrated and confused as to why they feel the

way they do. Disrupting the balanced chemicals in the brain by the use of drugs and self-

medicating can also create an unbalance, and teens could develop depression from that. In a

Government analysis published by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, titled “Teen
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Marijuana Use Worsens Depression: An Analysis of Recent Data Shows “Self-Medicating”

Could Actually Make Things Worse”, published in 2008, claims that “using marijuana can

caused depression and other mental illnesses” (Office of National Drug Control Policy 2).

This document claims that depression can be caused or even worsened in teens from drug use.

Marilyn Gemino also wrote in her article titled “Early Warning Signs of Depression and

Anxiety in Children”, “To cope with these symptoms, children and teens may sometimes

develop substance abuse issues as a form of coping mechanism, reports the Substance Abuse and

Mental Health Services Administration” (Gemino). Too many teens go down this path and end

up struggling all alone.

Trauma also plays a large role in the cause of depression for some teens. Many teens in

China were found to have experienced at least some form of depression, along with PTSD and

anxiety in some cases, after living through traumatic earthquakes. In Chinese published article

titled, “Predictive factors of depression symptoms among adolescents in the 18-month follow-up

after Wenchuan earthquake in China”, written by Cheryl Chui and several others, explores

scientific research on PTSD and depression found in teens after enduring the traumatic

experience of the Wenchuan earthquake that occurred in China. “Existing studies suggest that

individuals who have been exposed to a traumatic event such as a natural disaster experience a

period of intense psychological” (qtd. in Chui et al. 36). This quote from the article states the

question or claim that the article is looking into and exploring scientific data on the topic and

shows that depression has a high chance of stemming from traumatic experiences, especially in

teens.

Although depression is very common especially in teens, not enough people are aware

or as informed as they should be, especially parents, peers and all faculty and staff working in
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the school environment. All high schools should provide more support for their students and

give them the resources that so many teens need but cannot get, but also more importantly

communities and adults who are around teens should become more unrestrained from having

open discussions with teens about depression and make the topic easier to address for the kids

who feel uncomfortable or scared to talk about how they feel. Jamison Monroe highlights in his

article titled “The Facts About Loneliness in Young People”, how the majority of the younger

generations feel the most alone. “73 percent of Generation Z sometimes or always feel alone”

(Monroe). Often times teens feel like they have no one to talk to about how they feel causing

them to feel like they are all on their own.

Without adult attention and support for teenagers struggling with depression, these teens

feel they have no way out of the sadness or numbness that they feel, which can cause them to

resort to self-harm and suicide. In the article titled Teen Depression”, written by Amita Shroff,

the author states that “adolescent suicide is the second leading cause of death, following accidents,

among youth and young adults in the U.S. It is estimated that 500,000 teens attempt suicide every

year with 5,000 succeeding” (Shroff). The author highlights how teen suicide is far more common

than most people would think. This article discusses and answers questions regarding teen

depression, such as knowing the signs, the effects, and causes.

For this paper it would be beneficial to include more about what actually causes

depression for teens and how they can cope with it or manage it the correct and safe ways that

would insure their safety and well-being as well as helping them to feel better mentally and not

have to struggle on their own anymore.

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Works Cited

Chui, Cheryl H. K., et al. “Predictive Factors of Depression Symptoms among Adolescents in the
18-Month Follow-up after Wenchuan Earthquake in China.” Journal of Mental Health,
vol. 26, no. 1, Feb. 2017, pp. 36–42. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/09638237.2016.1276542.

Gemino, Marilyn. Early Warning Signs of Depression and Anxiety in Children. 1 May 2019,
www.gardenoflife.com/content/early-warning-signs-depression-anxiety-children/?
mc_cid=2614657b69.

Monroe, Jamison. The Facts on Loneliness in Young People. 18 May 2020,

www.newportacademy.com/resources/well-being/loneliness-in-young-people/.

Shroff, Amita. “Teen Depression: Causes, Symptoms, Heredity, and Treatments.” WebMD,

WebMD, 23 Apr. 2018, www.webmd.com/depression/guide/teen-depression.

Teen Marijuana Use Worsens Depression [Electronic Resource] : An Analysis of Recent Data
Shows “Self-Medicating” Could Actually Make Things Worse. Washington, D.C. : Office
of National Drug Control Policy, 2008, 2008. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=edsgpr&AN=edsgpr.ocn469694837&site=eds-live.