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Establishing a Communication Initiative to prevent Depression and Its Symptoms among

Young Adults in America

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Introduction

Depression is one of the most prevalent mental illnesses. It is reported that 5 percent of

adult populations worldwide are affected by the disorder (Gladstone et al., 2011). Depression is

defined by an inability to shake feelings of melancholy and a loss of interest in or pleasure from

things that used to bring one delight. The inability to sleep or eat normally is another potential

side effect. A lack of energy and focus is typical. Disability from depression is a major

contributor to the worldwide burden of illness. Chronic or recurring depression may severely

impair a person's ability to carry out daily tasks and enjoy life.

Depression, as a combination of disorders includes those with a stronger hereditary

component. Earlier age at beginning of depression is related with greater genetic loading and

lower long-term prognosis, similar to other neuropsychiatric illnesses such schizophrenia,

Alzheimer's disease, and Huntington's disease (Flint & Kendler, 2014). Depressed adolescents

and young adults have an increased chance of developing bipolar disorder.

With approximately 16 percent of the young adults’ population experiencing at least one

major depressive episode (MDD) in their life, depression is by far the most prevalent mental

health condition in the United States (Kessler & Walters, 1998)). It is a major contributor to

suicide and disability throughout the globe and a costly problem for communities everywhere

(World Health Organization). Although there are effective treatments available, depression is

still considered a chronic condition since 85% of persons who suffer from a depressive episode

will suffer from another episode over the next 15 years.

Target Population and Risk factors

Young adult depression is often chronic and recurrent. Long-term functional and mental

effects of young adult depression are poor, including impairment in school, job, interpersonal
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relationships, and drug misuse. The link between youth depression and self-harm is especially

noteworthy (Bardone et al., 1996). A third main cause of mortality among teenagers is suicide

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010). In the United States, 13.8 percent of youths

admitted to having significant thoughts of suicide in the last year; 10.9 percent reported

formulating suicidal plans; and 6.3 percent reported actually attempting suicide (Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, 2010).

Depression in young adults is frequent, just as it is in adults (Kovacs, 2006). Rates of

major depressive disorder (MDD) in a given year vary from 4 percent to 7 percent among

adolescents but hover around 2 percent in children (Costello, 2002). Lifetime occurrence of

MDD in adolescents aged 15–18 years is 14 percent, as reported by the National Comorbidity

Survey (NCS), and an approximated 20 percent of adolescents will have experienced a

depressive illness by the time they reach the age of 18 (Kessler & Walters, 1998). Adolescent

depression has point prevalence rates between 4 percent 7 percent, with a mean onset age of 15

years old (Lewinsohn et al., 1990). Early onset depression is linked to a prolonged, episodic

progression of illness, and one-half of the first bouts of depression begin during adolescence

(Costello et al., 2002). While effective therapies for young adults depression have been

investigated (including antidepressants, cognitive behavioral interventions, and interpersonal

psychotherapy), these approaches have only been shown to be effective in roughly 50 - 60

percent of instances under controlled study circumstances (March et al., 2004).

The likelihood that depression will develop into bipolar disorder is affected by a number

of variables, including the age at which symptoms first appear and the intensity of individual

episodes (Gautam et al., 2021). Some studies have shown that at least one-third of depressed

children will acquire bipolar illness as adults, making the development of depression before
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puberty a significant predictor for bipolar disease (Geller et al, 2001). Rao et al. (1995) found

over 20 percent of 28 depressed teenage outpatients had a bipolar result after 7 years.

Evidence-Based Solution to Depression among Young Adults

Positive outcomes from evidence-based interventions for youth’s depression, such as

cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal methods, have been shown to be prevalent

in some patients. Researchers Hetrick et al. (2016) examined the effectiveness of psychological

therapies known to minimize the risk of developing depression and alleviate its symptoms.

Psychological depression prevention interventions were shown to have much more beneficial

effects on depression prevention than any comparison group.

Structured brief therapy often consists of 12–16 or 16–20 sessions, however this number

may vary widely from patient to patient (Hollon & Dimidjian, 2014).  Treatment with CBT with

medication is more beneficial than medication alone for treating depression, according to a meta-

analysis of 115 trials (Gautam et al., 2021). Furthermore, there is mounting data suggesting that

individuals treated with CBT had a reduced recurrence rate than those treated with medication

alone (Gelenberg et al., 2010).

One of the behavioral interventions aims to lessen the individual's ruminating. It has been

observed that depressed people tend to dwell extensively about their flaws. It is possible to help

patients overcome their tendency to dwell on the bad by instructing them to recognize when they

are doing so and to refocus their thoughts on more constructive activities. Activity monitoring is

another crucial strategy for changing behavior (Lewinsohn et al., 1990). Depression is

characterized by a lack of interest in once-enjoyed activities. The patients' feeling of agency has

been shown to rise with the introduction of behavioral interventions early on.
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Once therapy has shown positive results, the patient must be taught the skills necessary to

keep those results permanent. In addition to reviewing the individual's progress throughout

therapy, it is important to have a conversation about strategies for avoiding relapse. To avoid

relapsing once treatment is over, it is crucial to know what worked and what worries the patient

has about going ahead.  It is also good to talk about a relapse prevention strategy in case

anything occurs and the depression worsens again. Understanding the difference between a

temporary setback and a full-blown relapse is helpful for future therapy and maintenance.

Factors that Affect Communication

Numerous programs addressing mental health have specifically targeted young adults.

Social media sites including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter have 90 percent of

young people actively using them on a daily basis (Lombard et al., 2018). This opens up chances

to learn about and contribute to the field of mental health. The use of social media presents

mental health and public health practitioners with unprecedented opportunity for behavior

change, integrated campaigns, and tailored messaging for particular young adult target groups. In

contrast to the one-way nature of conventional media like television, radio, and print, social

media allows for proactive two-way and many-to-many communication. This presents

difficulties and possibilities, as it allows for the instantaneous transmission of both false

information and statements supported by proof. Given the solid theoretical underpinnings,

health-related messaging on social media has the potential to expand both the reach and

engagement (content browsing, like, commenting, and sharing) of its intended audience.

Conclusion

Psychological therapies are recommended as a viable and efficient method of treating

depression, according to current treatment standards. Most often, these psychological treatments
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are used for mild to severe cases of depression. One major take away from this study is the

considerable variation in online information-seeking behaviors related to mental health among

young individuals who have comparable demographic features. Mental h health promotion

techniques that use social media often develop campaigns that aim for mass appeal rather than

targeting a particular demographic. Such knowledge gaps should be investigated in future

studies. A depression prevention program with a believable attention placebo comparison group

has to be tested in future clinical trials with an indicated targeted population. Longitudinal

measures of depressive disorder as the main endpoint, in addition to physician ratings of

depression, are recommended. Both the intervention's potential for damage and its scalability

should be taken into account in such a study.

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References

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Leckman, J. F. (2002). Development and natural history of mood disorders. Biological

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Flint, J., & Kendler, K. S. (2014). The genetics of major depression. Neuron, 81(3), 484-503.

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