Discuss one of the research findings on adolescent depression that stood out to you. Have you seen examples of this?
In the text “ The Spiritual Child ”, by Lisa Miller, adolescent depression is defined not just as a psychological illness due to chemical imbalance, but also as a developmental and spiritual natural aspect of quest and struggle to define one self, diverse issues and the general world. The research finding that stood out for me regarding adolescent depression is the association between spirituality and depression in the lifetime a human being. In a research article published in a psychiatry research journal, the author in collaboration with Myrna Weissman reported that highly spiritual young individual of average age of 26 years had history of adolescent depression. The study revealed that these young adults were 2.5 times more likely than their counterparts with lower spirituality to have experienced depression between the age of 16 to 25 years (Lisa, p. 289). From this research adolescent depression seemingly opens pathways to spiritual growth, which if cultivated can lead to a strong lifelong spiritual personality.
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Further, this research reported that young adults who perceived themselves as spiritual at the age of 26, were in the next decade 75% shielded from reoccurrence of depression. Interestingly, the authors opined that among adolescents who considered themselves less spiritual, one episode of depression exposed them to successive triggers. The authors found that recovery from the initial depression episodes among less spiritual adolescents did not help them acquire resilient means of coping with adverse life events or personal thoughts.
I have seen cases where not so spiritual adolescents experience episodes after episodes of depression triggered by different events. In these cases, the second and consecutive episodes are often occasioned by stressors that previously would not lead to depression. Going through the first depression episode, and not developing the right coping mechanisms leaves the young people vulnerable to any minor triggers. I think Lisa and Myrna were right in suggesting that the first depression episodes in non-spiritual adolescents does not result in development of resilient ways to cope with triggers, and this leaves them susceptible to a series of episodes.
Reference
Lisa Miller PHD. The Spiritual Child
