Younger Adults At Triple Risk for Depression — Know If You Are One of Them

Depression is one the most common mental health problems among the youths today in the United States, according to a study conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In its in-depth analysis, an estimated 8.3 percent of young adults aged between 18 and 25 reportedly have at least an episode of major depression. It also accounts as a leading cause of disability and relates to a poorer quality of life.

Researchers analysed the data gathered from the 2010 Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System, where participants were asked questions related to their health and employment status. The answers provided researchers ample data to establish the connection between mental health and unemployment.

Although there are several factors that cause depression, unemployment is the highest trigger as it compels loss of communications with social contacts and loss of income. The risks are triple among the adults who experience longer unemployment—at 23 percent of all participants. The study further concludes that people—afflicted with disabilities that restrict physical mobility but does not require the use of medical equipment like a wheelchair—are 5.28 times more vulnerable to depression when unemployed.

Participants to the survey were also considered for their ethnicity or race, educational attainment, gender and marital status. The Body Mass Index, too, contributed to the risk. With the rate that depression is affecting the young adults, researchers are urging health professionals to give more attention to them.

In a 2002 research initiated by National Center for Biotechnology Information, it is reported that depression is the principal cause of disability in Canada and United States for people aged between 15 and 44. In 2004, NCIB disclosed that depression along with other mental illnesses may lose healthy years to disability or death even at 24.

Australia Is No Better

By 2020 in Australia, depression will rank second as the most common cause of disability, while suicide accounts for the fourth biggest cause of mortality according to a study by Australia & New Zealand Health Policy. Suicide is often seen as depression-related. The Australian government has exerted efforts in addressing the issue with various initiatives including Beyondblue: The National Depression Initiatives. But issues such as cultural diversity and multilingual population poses serious challenges.

For comments or feedback on the article, please contact the writer at selivak@ibtimes.com.au