Teen Depression Less About Genes More About Environment

By Staff Writer

For years experts have told us that depression has a strong genetic component. But recent research by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) suggests that environmental factors play a much larger role than previously thought. Potentially more important than genes in increasing the risk of depression, researchers report, is the number of stressful life events an individual endures.

"Mental disorders are the most complex of all diseases," said study author and senior investigator at the NIMH, Kathleen Ries Merikangas, in a June 16, 2009 HealthDay News article. "We're learning more about how genes can control the different biologic pathways in the brain but, more importantly, how that brain is wired to respond to environmental factors. We're at the very primitive stages of knowledge."

Depressed Parents, Depressed Teens

Depressed parents tend to raise depressed teens. Recent reports from the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine suggest that approximately 15.6 million children under 18 live with an adult who has had major depression in the past year and about one in five U.S. parents experience depression each year. Depression affects the entire family, particularly children, and increases the chances that children will have emotional and behavioral issues.

"To break the vicious circle of depression, we need to refocus our view of this illness through a broader lens that sees the whole family, not just the individual with depression," said committee chair and psychiatrist Mary Jane England. "Our report describes a new vision for depression care that would provide comprehensive services not just to adults, but to their children as well. It will take significant policy changes to make this vision a reality, but the benefits warrant the effort."

The fact that depressed parents often rear depressed teens seems to indicate a genetic component to depression, but researchers have discovered a purely environmental link. They found that having a depressed mom increases a teen’s chances of becoming depressed, even if the teen was adopted or is genetically unrelated to the parent. This means that teen depression can be caused by purely environmental factors, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Other studies, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, indicate that successful treatment for depressed mothers also produces emotional gains in their depressed children. Interestingly, having a depressed father does not appear to increase depression in adopted or non-adopted teens, possibly because mothers generally assume more of the child-rearing responsibilities.

Psychologist and study author Erin Tully explained in a HealthDay News article that depression impairs a mother’s parenting skills, causes marital and family conflict, and negatively impacts a child’s ties to peers and school, which can result in the child becoming depressed himself.

Teen Depression Linked to Later Bedtimes

In addition to stressful life events and parental influence, other environmental factors appear to play into the risk of a teen becoming depressed. For example, bedtimes have a significant impact on the likelihood of a teen becoming depressed, according to recent research by the Columbia University Medical Center and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

If you let your middle or high school-age child stay up after midnight on weeknights, your teen is 42% more likely to be depressed and 30% more likely to have had suicidal thoughts in the past year than teens whose parents enforce a 10 p.m. or earlier bedtime. The NIH survey found that teens with a bedtime of 10 p.m. slept at least 8 hours, while teens who were allowed to stay up past midnight slept an average of 7.5 hours.

"There's a bi-directional relationship between depression and sleep," said Dr. Jonathan Pletcher, an adolescent medicine specialist from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, in a June 9, 2009 HealthDay News article. "Teens who get less sleep may be more anxious and more likely to feel badly. But, I think this study's findings also speak to a connection between the teen and their parents and their ability to work together."

Experts recommend that teens sleep at least 9 hours per night, not only to guard against depression but also to reduce anxiety, increase focus and learning, improve mood, and reduce the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other health problems.

Good Parenting Makes a Difference

The research increasingly shows that parents make a difference in the mental well-being of their children. For some parents, this news is a mixed blessing. We can no longer sit back, blame genetics, and rely on a prescription antidepressant to resolve teen depression. There are things we can do to make our teens’ lives better, starting with setting schedules that encourage teens to get enough sleep and exercise and follow a healthy diet.

Parents can also make a difference by knowing when and how to seek treatment for depression. Research shows that treatment for depression, whether through medication, cognitive-behavioral therapy, or a combination of both, has immediate and lasting benefits for both the patient and her family. Studies show that children benefit most if their mothers seek treatment for depression within three months of the condition’s onset. Depression treatment programs that incorporate the entire family also come highly recommended by mental health experts.

If you are experiencing any of the signs of clinical depression, seek professional help immediately, before your struggles spread to your children. If your child is showing signs of depression, find a therapist, wilderness program, or therapeutic boarding school that specializes in helping teens with depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders. Programs that take teens away from home for a certain amount of time can be particularly beneficial if a parent is depressed.

For more information about potential depression treatment options, call the National Resource Center at (877) 637-6237.