Introduction
Teenage Depression is on the rise and is the most disturbing symptom of a border
psychological problem: a spectrum of angst that plagues 21st century teens, it is the most
alarming fact from all the research, affecting younger and younger of people. Instead of living
their lives and exploring the wonders of the world, they tend to lock themselves in their rooms
and be drowned by pessimism- something that is hindering them from growth and it is a threat to
the future.
To prevent the case of teenage depression from complication, determining the causes
could help most especially because untreated depression can result to various problems that can
affect every area of a teenage life. By also investigating this study, it will serve as a support
system for all of the people in the community, specifically the teens who are much affected and
This inquiry will intend to determine the sociological and psychological causes of
43.2% of the students reported “feeling so depressed it was difficult to function” at least once in
the past 12 months. More than 3,200 university students reported being diagnosed as having
depression, with 39.2% of those students diagnosed in the past 12 months, 24.2% currently in
therapy for depression, and 35.8% taking antidepressant medication. Among the students
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surveyed, 10.3% admitted “seriously considering attempting suicide” within the past 12 months
and 1.9% actually attempted suicide during that period. According to the 2008 National Survey
of Counseling Center Directors, 95% of respondents believe that there has been a trend in recent
years of an increase in the number of students with serious psychological problems. Although the
above data may seem surprising to some, it is not to most mental health clinicians and
administrators at U.S. colleges. Many college administrators have begun to appreciate the effect
that a student’s depression can have on overall functioning in the college community. Depression
has been linked to academic difficulties as well as interpersonal problems at school, with more
severe depression correlated with higher levels of impairment. There are unique challenges of
providing treatment to college students. These challenges include significant academic pressure
in semester-based cycles, extensive semester breaks that result in discontinuities of care, and
heavy reliance on community supports that can be inconsistent. Given the prevalence and impact
of depression on college campuses and the varying services offered by university mental health
centers throughout the United States, there is a significant need to evaluate successful models of
young adults using a multimodal approach to determine why depressive symptoms unfold, how
self-injurious and suicidal behaviors develop, and what changes in the brain during treatment.
Depression in adolescents is a serious public health concern. Recent epidemiological data show
that approximately 11 percent of youth will experience depression (Avenevoli, Swendsen, He,
Burstein, & Merikangas, 2015), and these episodes are associated with downstream negative
nonsuicidal self-injury) and adulthood (e.g., lower income levels, higher divorce rates,
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suicidality) (e.g., Auerbach, Kim, et al., 2014; Auerbach, Tsai, & Abela, 2010; Avenevoli,
Knight, Kessler, & Merikangas, 2008). Most notably, an alarming 75 percent of individuals
experiencing depression during adolescence will make a suicide attempt in adulthood (Nock,
Green, et al., 2013). Despite these unsettling statistics and associated negative consequences, the
remain unclear. To address this key gap, research uses a multidisciplinary and multimodal
approach to determine why depressive symptoms emerge and how self-injurious and suicidal
In a study of 40 depressed patients, Leff, Roatch and Bunney (1970) have found that each
patient had been subjected to multiple stressful events prior to early symptoms and to a
clustering of such events during the month preceding the actual break down in functioning.
Similar to the findings of Leff and her associates are those of Paykel (1983). He studied 185
depressed patients and found that comparable stressful events preceded the onset of the
depressive breakdown. The significant events are categorized as (a) marital difficulties, (b) work
moves or changes in work conditions, (c) serious personal illness, and death or serious illness of
an immediate family member. Adolescence is the age of stress and strains. Age related physical
changes and the resulting psychological disturbances may lead to greater maladjustment, stress
and lead to depression in adolescents (Indira and 57 Review of Related Literature Murthy,
1980a, 1980b, Jaiprakash and Murthy, 1981, 1982, Rangaswamy et al. 1982, Jamuna, 1984).
Death of a loved one as a stressful event is found as a precipitating cause leading to depression
(Renner and Birren, 1980). Evidences also indicate relationship between somatic symptoms,
depression and stress in adolescents. Depression was found to be the most significant factor in
the development of somatic complaints. Studies by Rozzine (1996), Schulz and Williamson
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(1993), Smallegan (1989) Ramamurti (1996), Ramamurti and Jamuna (1984, 1992) reveal that
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for 12-14 year old school children was done by Habib, Seif
(2007). The sample comprised 198 boys and 136 girls. Students were assessed using the Child
Depression Inventory and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. The 32 children with
depression were offered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. They were assessed 3 months after the
intervention using the same tools and the results indicate the effectiveness of this therapy and
The studies reviewed above clearly suggest that depression among adolescent children is
caused by a variety of factors. And more generally, it is not a single factor but a combination of
different factors that operate to produce and maintain depressive feelings in them.
This inquiry will intend to determine the sociological and psychological causes to teenage
depression.
1. What are the common sociological and psychological causes associated in teenage depression?
a. behavior
b.social interaction
b1. Friends
b2. Family
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b3. Romantic Relationship
Adequate to the rapid increase of teenage depression cases, this study entitled “Teenage
Depression: The Psychological and Sociological Causes to Students” will benefit the following:
Students or Teenagers- This will help the students or the teenagers help themselves from further
depth of depression and can prevent from suffering a major mental health disorder.
Parents or Family- This study can provide a signal and a warning to parents as sign of awareness
to how disturbing depression rates are on a steady rise. This study could make parents wonder
what they could be doing to better help their kids navigate the waters of adolescent years.
School- This study will encourage the school as a support network that will hold programs to
lessen the cases and to encourage students that the school is much willing and open to address
any problem since a customized, multi prolonged intervention at school can be highly effective.
Community-They wil be the one who will participate in this depression research in which it will
be “Help Us, Help You” advocacy, They will provide invaluable sights into the research process,
making incredibly constructive suggestions that the researchers shouk be looking in a depression
The Researchers– The study will serve as the basis for the future study to develop.
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Scope and Limitations of the study
The study will direct to determine the causes of teenage depression specifically its
sociological and psychological causes. The researchers will also look into the effects of teenage
depression to the students’ behaviour, social interaction, and the contribution of this study or
what the study has to offer to different families or home, to the school and to its community.
The study will use the students of Talamban National Highschool S.Y.2017-2018 as the
respondents. They will interview those students who are suffering from the depression and
inquire to what are the causes that lead them to suffer from this rising mental health.
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Chapter 2
The researchers have found the following studies and literature as relevant to the system
being proposed:
According to Gitanjali Saluja, PhD et. al (2004) Depression is a substantial and largely
unrecognized problem facing young adolescents, and more intervention is needed at the middle
school level. From his study, two sets of depression response items were collapsed: the dealing
with lack of sleep and excess sleep (sleep disturbance) and the dealing with weight loss and
weight gain (weight disturbance). After depressive symptom status was determined, the
prevalence of depressive symptoms for all grade, sex, and racial/ethnic subgroups were
calculated. There is 95% confidence intervals for the estimated prevalence ratio to compare
prevalence of depressive symptoms across bullying behaviors, substance use, and somatic
ailments. A higher proportion of females (25%) reported depressive symptoms than males
(10%).Among American Indian youths, 29% reported depressive symptoms, as compared with
22% of Hispanic, 18% of white, 17% of Asian American, and 15% of African American youths.
Youths who were frequently involved in bullying, either as perpetrators or as victims, were more
than twice as likely to report depressive symptoms as those who were not involved in bullying. A
significantly higher percentage of youths who reported using substances reported depressive
symptoms as compared with other youths. Similarly, youths who reported experiencing somatic
symptoms also reported significantly higher proportions of depressive symptoms than other
youths. Major depressive disorder accounts for greater mortality, morbidity, and financial costs
than any other psychiatric disorder. In the United States, studies estimate the prevalence of
depression among older adolescents to be as high as 8.3%. The anonymous survey includes
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questions on family structure, diet, exercise, self-image, injuries, safety behaviors, academic
performance and pressures, attitudes about school, fighting and bullying, and substance use.
Klein JP1, et al (2015) asserted the association of childhood trauma and personality
disorders with chronic depression. It was discovered that chronic depression has often been
associated with childhood trauma. There may, however, be an interaction between personality
pathology, childhood trauma, and chronic depression. This interaction has not yet been studied.
DSM-IV-defined chronic depression was the primary outcome. The association between chronic
depression, childhood trauma, and personality disorders was analyzed using correlations. The
presence of avoidant personality disorder, but no CTQ-SF scale, was associated with the
chronicity of depression (odds ratio [OR] = 2.20, P = .015). The emotional abuse subscale of the
CTQ-SF did, however, correlate with avoidant personality disorder (OR = 1.15, P = .000). The
level of emotional abuse had a moderating effect on the effect of avoidant personality disorder
on the presence of chronic depression. The interaction of the presence of avoidant personality
pathology with the effect of childhood trauma in the development of chronic depression has to be
David M. Fergusson, PhD et.al (2002) examined the extent to which young people with
depression in mid adolescence (ages 14-16) were at increased risk of adverse psychosocial
outcomes in later adolescence and young adulthood (ages 16-21). Measures included
assessments of DSM-III-R major depression (at age 14-16); psychiatric disorders, educational
achievement, and social functioning (at age 16-21); social, familial, and individual factors; and
co morbid disorders. Thirteen percent of the cohort developed depression between ages 14 and
16. Young people with depression in adolescence were at increased risk of later major
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attempt, educational underachievement, unemployment, and early parenthood. These
between early ACEs and adolescent general and emotional health outcomes. An increase from 0
to 3 early ACEs was associated with 15% and 25% increases in depression severity and physical
health problems, respectively. Results from this longitudinal prospective neuroimaging study
suggest that early childhood adversity negatively affects the volume of a subregion of the
prefrontal cortex, the inferior frontal gyrus, resulting in impairments in emotional competence
and increased risk for adolescent depression and poor health outcomes. Study findings highlight
1 putative neurodevelopmental mechanism by which the association between early ACEs and
Symptoms and Anxiety With Bone Mass and Density in Ever-Smoking and Never-Smoking
Adolescent Girls’. He examined (1) the association of depressive and anxiety symptoms with
bone mass and density in adolescent girls and (2) to examine this association in subgroups of
those who have ever or never smoked. He also examined (1) the association of depressive and
anxiety symptoms with bone mass and density in adolescent girls and (2) to examine this
association in subgroups of those who have ever or never smoked. Prospective study using
baseline reports were made with Two hundred seven girls (aged 11, 13, 15, and 17 years) from
urban teenage health center and the community. Higher depressive symptoms were associated
with lower total body BMC and BMD but not hip or spine BMC and BMD. Only in white
adolescents was higher state anxiety associated with lower total body BMC and hip BMC and
BMD. Ever-smokers were not significantly different than never-smokers in age-adjusted BMC or
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BMD, but they had higher depressive and anxiety symptoms. This is the first study to report that
higher depressive and anxiety symptoms are associated with lower total body BMC during
adolescence in girls. Knowing that this association is present at a young age is worrisome, as
peak bone mass is attained in adolescence. Findings may aid in identifying girls who are at risk
for low bone mass and developing intervention/prevention strategies during adolescence.
Importantly, mechanisms that explain these associations and the effect of smoking on bone
Frances Rice PhD et al. (2017) emphasized the developmental pathways that lead to
first-episode adolescent-onset MDD (incident cases) in those at high familial risk and to
postulate a theoretically informed model that enables simultaneous testing of different pathways
risk factors, as well as effects via specific clinical antecedents.Ninety-two percent (279 of 304)
of families completed the follow-up. On average, children and adolescents had a mean (SD) of
1.85 (1.74) (range, 0-8.5) DSM-IV symptoms of MDD at follow-up. Twenty (6 males and 14
females) had new-onset MDD, with a mean (SD) age at onset of 14.4 (2.0) years (range, 10-18
years). Irritability (β = 0.12, P = .03) and fear and/or anxiety (β = 0.38, P < .001) were significant
(β = −0.08, P = .14) and low mood (β = −0.03, P = .65) were not. The results were similar for the
DSM-IV symptom count at follow-up. All the measured familial/genetic and social risk
indicators directly influenced risk for new-onset MDD rather than indirectly through acting on
dimensional clinical antecedents. This investigation was a 4-year longitudinal study among
offspring of depressed parents in the general community. In a theoretically informed model that
simultaneously tested different pathways, irritability and fear and/or anxiety were the clinical
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antecedents of new-onset major depressive disorder, and social and familial risk factors directly
affected new-onset major depressive disorder. Irritability and fear/anxiety may be additional
child. In addition to targeting these phenomena in parents and children, depression prevention
methods in high-risk groups may need to take into consideration social risks, such as poverty and
psychosocial adversity.
From the study of Riittakerttu Kaltiala-Heino, et. al (2007) entitled ‘Bullying, depression,
and suicidal ideation in Finnish adolescents: school survey’. This study was to assess the relation
between being bullied or being a bully at school, depression, and severe suicidal ideation. A
school based survey of health, health behaviour, and behaviour in school which included
questions about bullying and the Beck depression inventory, which includes items asking about
suicidal ideation was conducted in Secondary schools in two regions of Finland with 16410
adolescents aged 14-16. Depression was equally likely to occur among those who were bullied
and those who were bullies. It was most common among those students who were both bullied
by others and who were also bullies themselves. When symptoms of depression were controlled
for, suicidal ideation occurred most often among adolescents who were bullies. Adolescents who
are being bullied and those who are bullies are at an increased risk of depression and suicide. The
need for psychiatric intervention should be considered not only for victims of bullying but also
for bullies. The role of the adolescent remains constant in the long process of being bullied or
being a bully.
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Tamara Ruijten et.al (2011) states that adolescent depression is a serious disorder with
prevalence rates ranging between 2.5 and 8.3% and a high risk of suicidality, recurrence and
chronicity. In the past decade, the role of family factors in the development of depressive
symptoms has received increased attention in research (Sander and Mc Carty 2005). One such
factor is attachment. When caregivers are available to their child and respond in a loving and
responsive way, the child develops a secure attachment bond with the caregivers and
experiences confidence in self and others. A lack of protective and sensitive responding of the
caregivers leads to a sense of insecurity and to an increase in levels of distress. Moreover, the
child may develop an insecure attachment to the caregiver over time (Bowlby 1973, 1988).
Self-report measures of attachment have been utilized to assess the quality of attachment
(Gullone and Robinson 2005). Armsden et al. (1990) have found that depressed adolescents
reported significantly less secure parent and peer attachment relations in terms of trust,
communication, and alienation than their non-depressed counterparts (see also Green and
Goldwyn 2002; Greenberg 1999). Recently, there has been interest in gaining a better
symptoms. A good candidate here might be rumination. A ruminative response style can be
defined as the tendency to engage in repetitive thinking about the depressive symptoms, as
well as the causes and consequences of these symptoms (Nolen-Hoeksema 1991, 1998).
symptoms of depression in youth (Rood et al. 2009). There have been relatively few attempts
people who report having psychologically over controlling parents, tend to engage in
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rumination in response to depressed mood (Spasojevic and Alloy 2002). For attachment,
al. 2005). Thus, the quality of the relationship between caregivers and children might
Riittakerttu Kaltiala-Heino (2010) had a study that has an objective to analyses whether
questions focusing on being a bully, being a victim to bullying, and being left alone by peers
against one’s wishes. The results summarized that, both being a victim to bullying and being a
bully predicted later depression among boys. Among girls, depression at T1 predicted
victimization at T2. Depression at T1 predicted experience of being left alone at T2 among both
sexes. It was concluded that victimization to bullying may be a traumatizing event that results in
depression. However, depression also predicts experience of victimization and of being left alone
against one’s wishes. Depression may impair an adolescent’s social skills and self-esteem so that
the adolescent becomes victimized by peers. However, depression may also distort and
From the study of Pine, D. MD (2010) entitled ‘The Risk for Early-Adulthood Anxiety
and Depressive Disorders in Adolescents with Anxiety and Depressive Disorders’ it shows the
relationship among anxiety and depressive disorders of adolescence and adulthood. This study
prospectively examines the magnitude of longitudinal associations between adolescent and adult
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depressive disorders. There was evidence of specificity in the course of simple and social phobia
but less specificity in the course of other disorders. Results from the analyses using latent
variables suggested that while most adolescent disorders were no longer present in young
adulthood, most adult disorders were preceded by adolescent disorders. An anxiety or depressive
disorder during adolescence confers a strong risk for recurrent anxiety or depressive disorders
during early adulthood. Most anxiety and depressive disorders in young adults may be preceded
by anxiety or depression in adolescence. Because anxiety and depressive disorders are some of
relationships between anxiety and depressive disorders in adolescents and adults. Such
relationships have been explored from various perspectives, including family-based, biological,
pharmacologic, and longitudinal approaches. Only longitudinal research directly quantifies the
risk for adult anxiety or depressive disorders faced by adolescents with anxiety or depression.
The main goal of the report is to test 4 hypotheses on the nature of associations among
adolescent and adult disorders. First, family studies and the low rate of clinical impairment in
children with simple phobia suggest that adolescent simple phobia will predict simple phobia but
not other adult anxiety or depressive disorders. Second, extensive research reviewed elsewhere
suggests that separation anxiety disorder will relate to panic disorder but not to other disorders.
Third, prior longitudinal research among adults suggests that episodes of spontaneous panic in
adolescence will predict the onset of panic disorder in adulthood. Fourth, family studies and
cross-sectional data suggest that adolescent major depression, overanxious disorder, and social
phobia will exhibit broad associations with adult major depression, generalized anxiety disorder,
and social phobia. While the main goal of this study is to test these 4 hypotheses, we also provide
data that can be compared with data from other prospective epidemiological studies. Hence, we
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examine the course of broadly defined internalizing disorders, and we consider the effects of age,
As asserted by the study of Benedetto Vitiello, M.D.,et.al (2011) the long-term outcome
was examined. For the current study, patients were reassessed 48 (N=116) and 72 (N=130)
weeks from intake. Data were gathered from February 2011 to February 2007. Randomly
assigned treatment (first 12 weeks) did not influence remission rate or time to remission, but the
group assigned to SSRI's had a more rapid decline in self-reported depressive symptoms and
suicidal ideation than those assigned to venlafaxine (p<.05). Participants with more severe
depression, greater dysfunction, and alcohol/drug use at baseline were less likely to remit. The
depressive symptom trajectory of the remitters diverged from that of non-remitters by the first 6
weeks of treatment (p<.001). Of the 130 participants in remission at week 24, 25.4% relapsed in
the subsequent year. While most adolescents achieved remission, more than one-third did not,
and one-fourth of remitted patients experienced a relapse. More effective interventions are
needed for patients who do not show robust improvement early in treatment.
of the students reported "feeling so depressed it was difficult to function" at least once in the past
12 months. More than 3,200 university students reported being diagnosed as having depression,
with 39.2% of those students diagnosed in the past 12 months, 24.2% currently in therapy for
depression, and 35.8% taking antidepressant medication. College students and treatment
outcome by using the following terms: "depression," "college or university or graduate or junior
15
prevention," "empirical study," and "peer reviewed journal." Sixty college students (66%
Caucasian, 57% female) with major depression were followed for nine weeks without any
treatment to assess for sudden gains (that is, precipitous improvements in depressive
In 2007, Pace and Dixon conducted a four- to seven-week randomized controlled trial to
assess the treatment effectiveness of individual cognitive therapy for college students with
depressive symptoms. The authors concluded that brief individual cognitive therapy may
among college students. Whereas Kelly and colleagues ( 8 ) and Lara and colleagues ( 9 ) used
the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV to diagnose participants with major depressive
disorder, Geisner and colleagues ( 10 ) and Pace and Dixon ( 11 ) used self-report scales to
measure depressive symptoms for study inclusion and Pace and Dixon excluded students with
severe levels of depressive symptoms. Because major depression can be a chronic recurring
condition, future research needs to evaluate the effectiveness of the various treatment modalities
used to treat college students with depression. In light of the high prevalence of depression
among college students today and the risks and sequelae this illness poses if not diagnosed and
treated early and effectively, it is imperative that research funding be increased for both
naturalistic and intervention studies of depression and treatment outcomes in the college health
setting.
on Anxiety and Depression: A Meta-Analytic Review” The most common disorder studied was
cancer (n = 9), followed by generalized anxiety disorder (n = 5), depression (n = 4), chronic
16
fatigue syndrome (n = 3), panic disorder (n = 3), fibromyalgia (n = 3), chronic pain (n = 2),
social anxiety disorder (n = 2), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (n = 1), arthritis (n = 1),
binge eating disorder (n = 1), bipolar disorder (n = 1), diabetes (n = 1), heart disease (n = 1),
hypothyroidism (n = 1), insomnia (n = 1), organ transplant (n = 1), stroke (n = 1), and traumatic
brain injury (n = 1). A total of 10 studies used MBT in patients without a clinically defined
anxiety or mood disorder, but met our criteria for elevated levels of anxiety at pre-treatment: two
studies in cancer populations (Tacon, Caldera, & Ronaghan, 2004; Tacon, Caldera, & Ronaghan,
2005), four studies in populations with pain (Grossman, Tiefenthaler-Gilmer, Raysz, & Kesper,
2007; Lush et al., 2009; Sagula & Rice, 2004; Rosenzweig et al., 2009), three studies in
populations with other medical problems (Schulte, 2007; Surawy, Roberts, and Silver, 2005
Studies 1 and 2), and one study using a sample with Binge Eating Disorder (Kristeller & Hallett,
1999). In order to examine whether MBT for patients with anxiety disorders and depression
results in greater reductions of symptoms of anxiety and depression than MBT for other patients,
we compared effect sizes for continuous measures of anxiety and depression symptoms across
the following 4 diagnostic categories: anxiety disorders, mood disorders, cancer, and pain. MBT
showed significant effects for reducing anxiety symptoms in individuals with anxiety disorders
(n = 7 studies; Hedges' g = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.72-1.22, p < .01), followed by individuals with
cancer (n = 8 studies; Hedges' g = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.45-0.82, p < .01), and pain disorders (n = 5
studies; Hedges' g = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.21-0.68, p < .01). Similarly, MBT was effective for
Hedges' g = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.71-1.18, p < .01), followed by individuals with an anxiety disorder
(n = 6 studies; Hedges' g = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.58-0.92, p < .01), pain (n = 6 studies; Hedges' g =
0.51, 95% CI: 0.39-0.63, p < .01), and cancer (n = 7 studies; Hedges' g = 0.45, 95% CI: .34-0.56,
p < .01). In addition, effect sizes for depression and anxiety symptoms in populations with
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cancer, pain, or other medical conditions may be smaller than effect sizes in populations with
anxiety or mood disorders due to a floor effect: that is, patients with a low level of anxiety or
depression at pre-treatment may show a relatively smaller degree of improvement after treatment
prompts negative stereotyping and discrimination in others, which, in turn, causes depression and
other negative psychological and social outcomes (Brownell, Puhl, Schwartz, & Rudd, 2005;
Puhl & Brownell, 2006). A second, alternative causal model recognizes that depression can exert
causal effects on obesity. The value of longitudinal research for extending knowledge about the
relationship between depression and weight control has been acknowledged in a recent review
(Faith, Matz, & Jorge, 2002). Effect size Z scores ranged from –3.35 to 20.22, with most (18 out
the 23) samples providing data that depression leads to weight gain.This yielded a significant
population effect size estimate of 1.47 (95% CI: 1.16, 1.85), indicating that depressed people at
baseline measurement are about 1.8 times more likely than non depressed people to have obese
status or weight gain at follow-up measurement. Subject sex and age were also analyzed as
moderating variables. Using a fixed effects analysis, male (n = 4, odds ratio: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.14,
1.58) and female (n = 11, odds ratio: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.20, 1.32) did not generate significantly
different estimates. A similar analysis investigated the moderating influence of sample age and
found that adolescent (n = 12, odds ratio: 2.31, 95% CI: 2.06, 2.58) and adult (n = 11, odds ratio:
1.08, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.13) samples differed in the effect of depression on obesity status. This
difference, as well as the odds ratios for each group, was essentially unchanged when only
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Thapar, A. et al. (2012) states that depression in pre pubertal children is less common
than depression in adolescents or adults, and seems to differ from these disorders with respect
adolescents. Longitudinal studies of community and clinic based population samples suggest that
studies 50-70% of patients who remit develop subsequent depressive episodes within 5 years.
However, such findings in relation to depression and depression-related brain mechanisms seem
to vary not only by genotype, but also by age, sex, and severity of symptoms, and are also reliant
on good quality measures of adversity and depression. The broader social context also needs to
adolescents with sub-syndromal depression showed that they are at increased risk of later full-
blown depressive disorder. Almost 20% of adolescents with depression also meet diagnostic
criteria for generalized anxiety disorder with reported lifetime rates of 50-70%. Depression can
also complicate eating disorders, autistic spectrum disorders, and ADHD. Comorbidity is
especially increased in adolescents with severe depression and predicts severe impairment, poor
The studies aforementioned above are the studies related to our topic. They may be varied but
there are factors that made them similar. Most especially that it tackles about depression on all
those different causes that can affect one’s mental health. Effects were also mentioned for the
reason that the impact on depression would be a great help for the researchers to further analyze
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the topic. But the difference that made the study unique was the place and the causes that the
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Chapter 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
Case Study, a Qualitative Design was utilized in this study, to determine the
Research Locale
The study was conducted from the residence of the interviewee located in Borbajo, Street
Research Participants
The informant was chosen from the selected junior and senior high school students in
Talamban National High School that showed signs of depression and age ranges from 15-18.
Research Instruments
The instruments used were interview guide and audio recorder. The researchers used a
list of questionnaires that are less detailed which allows the researcher to freely ask questions
about the topic. The whole interview was recorded in an audio recorder.
Research Procedure
First, the researchers asked permission to the principal for approval. Second, the
researchers gained informed consent to the informat. Then, the researchers made the
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questionnaires and the schedule of the date of the interview. Lastly, the researchers analyzed the
Data Analysis
For the data analysis to be done, the researchers went back and viewed the statement of
the problem and tried to analyze if we got the expected answers. An interview was transcribed
verbatim in preparation for the data analysis. Coding techniques and pseudonames were utilized
analysis inspired by In Vivo Coding was utilized to explicate the essence of the phenomenon.
The sampling design used was Snowball Sampling, this sampling method was used
because this method does not give a specific set of samples involving unspecified group of
people.
The data were gathered through an interview method, the researchers found the perfect
informant for their study. After the data were gathered, the researchers collated the results.
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Chapter 4
Results
Upon realizing the intended data analysis approach, eight (8) emergent themes were
generated – three (3) for sociological causes and five (4) for psychological causes. For
sociological causes: ‘parents’, ‘fake friends, and ‘unhealthy relationship with someone or
partner’. For psychological causes: ‘operant conditioning’, ‘cognitive triad’, ‘anxiety disorder’
and ‘learned helpfulness’. Additionally, emergent themes will be discussed in relation to live
Sociological Causes
Parents
Many people suffer from depression at one point in their life. It is inevitable, the feeling
of hopelessness, sorrow, or being alone. These are all common emotions associated with
depression. For a select few, depression can be hard to overcome, and this is where depression
becomes a disorder that requires active treatment. Yet the question remains, why did these
people become depressed? How did they become depressed? One of the answers that lead to the
cause of depression would be a person's interpersonal relationship with their surroundings and
the people around them. One could argue that out of all the interpersonal cases that can
contribute on the onset of a depressive disorder, the ambiance of a family has the most weight
23
The first theme cluster derived is ‘emotionally and physically abused by parents’. If
you're going to take action against depression, then you need to understand that child abuse
commonly underpins adult depression. In almost every case of significant adult depression, some
form of abuse was experienced in childhood, either physical, sexual, emotional or, often, a
combination. Scientists know that traumatic experiences such as child abuse or neglect change
the chemistry and even the structure of the brain. They sensitize the stress response system so
that those who are abused become overly responsive to environmental pressures. They shape
wiring patterns in the brain and reset the sensitivity level of the machinery. Informant X
mentioned: The main reason of why I am depressed is because of my parents, especially mom.
Even my slightest mistake, she nags immediately. The slaps that I receive are just okay (or maybe
not) but what hurt the most are the words coming from her. She kicked me out and the reason
was ‘kauwaw ra ko sa ilang pangan’. I was also accused that I am a slut because I always go
with boys.
Rejection by parent is the second sub-theme cluster which emerges from this emergent
theme. It has been well documented that adolescents run a heightened risk for developing
depression and aggression when they feel rejected by their parents. Rejection by either parent, or
both, has a huge effect on children’s personality. They tend to become more anxious and
insecure. Informant X described the rejection she gets when her parents say that they are always
busy and that they won’t listen. She further described: I really am not open. As a kid, they are not
always there. They are always busy. They just let me do things that I want. They provide
financially but not mentally and emotionally- and that’s missing. And if they think I did
something wrong and I know I’m right, they won’t listen. They would really insist the things that
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The third theme cluster derived from this theme is ‘parents imposing conditions of
worth’. Conditions of worth are the messages we take on board about what we have to do to be
valued. Conditions of worth are often very subtle. Nevertheless, this subtlety is all the more
powerful, since it can render us unaware of what our conditions of worth are. . Conditions of
worth are not in and of themselves a bad thing. It’s when they are overused that they begin to be
a problem. A child will seek to satisfy the condition of worth imposed by their parents. And
without realizing, parents may create more complex conditions for their attention then may want
to. From Informant X, she highlighted: I told them I’m already tired. They want me to be perfect.
Fake Friends
The second emergent theme is entitled “Fake Friends”. A lot of the people described
having difficult and complex relationships and many felt depression had affected their
friendships one way or another. Many said they had never “fitted in” and making friends had
been “hard work” for them throughout their lives. Several people had also experienced physical,
mental or emotional bullying in the past. Thus a verbalization from Informant X states: I always
felt that I am left behind and this was confirmed by someone. That someone said that “libakon
raman ka ana nila” and I noticed that every time my friends say something about me, nobody
will defend me
One of the most important social causes for depression is a stressful relationsip. Gregory
S. Beattie, the author of Social Causes of Depression, acknowledged this as a factor but did not
stress its importance. When a relationship is not working it turns into a stressor, which often
25
causes depression among females and leads males to alcohol abuse. Stressful relationship is the
leading cause for depression among women (Whisman, 2001). Even though this is not a social
inevitable in a way that I lack attention from them. At first, our relationship was good but as
times goes by, it was already shaky and his honesty faded. Months later, I decided to end our
relationship because I also found out that he likes my cousin. But we get back together thinking
Psychological Causes
Operant Conditioning
Skimmer believed that the best way to understand behavior is to look at the causes of an
action and its consequences. He called this approach operant conditioning. Operant conditioning
can be described as a process that attempts to modify behavior through the use of positive and
reinforcement from the environment (Lewinsohn, 1974). Certain events, such as losing your job,
induce depression because they reduce positive reinforcement from others (e.g. being around
The first theme cluster is the ‘low academic performance in school’. Aremu (2003)
identifies poor academic performance as a performance that is adjudged by the examiner and
26
some other significant as falling below an expected standard. With reference to academic failure
there are many causes related to psychological reasons such as Major Depression Disorder. It is
common that depression as a disease caused by failing in exams but it is more frequent that
depression often proceeds the exams' period. Depression can cause inability and weakness in
concentration of the patient. Informant X mentioned: I was out of focus, mainly in school. I don’t
want to listen, I just want to write because nothing (no lessons) will sink in my mind.
Loss of friends is the second sub-theme cluster which emerges from this emergent theme.
Depression is a thief. It'll rob you of your time, your thoughts, and your sense of self. But before
all of that, it'll take your friends. A lot of friends have told that when you are depressed you bring
this sadness upon yourself. Unfortunately with every accusation and advice, this has only gotten
farther from people. It will be like “If your own thoughts sound alien to you, how would
someone else understand them?” These are clear evidences that teenagers who are depressed
really feel like no one can understand them. Thus, a verbalization from Informant X states: I also
lost friends because if I am upset I shut people out. No one could really help me. My friends tell
me that they will always be there but they just ‘come and go’. All my friends just show fake love
The last theme cluster derived from this theme is ‘loss of interest on things’ or
Anhedonia. Anhedonia is one of the main symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD). It is
the loss of interest in previously rewarding or enjoyable activities. People suffering from clinical
depression lose interest in hobbies, friends, work--even food and sex. It's as if the brain's
pleasure circuits shut down or short out. Depression reduces that hedonic capacity. Informant X
uttered this statement: To the hobbies that I do, I don’t enjoy them anymore. I lost the will to
continue my life.
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Cognitive Triad
The second emergent theme is entitled “Cognitive Triad”. One major cognitive theorist is
Aaron Beck. He studied people suffering from depression and found that they appraised events
in a negative way. Beck (1967) identified three mechanisms that he thought were responsible for
depression and one of them is the cognitive triad (of negative automatic thinking).
The cognitive triad are three forms of negative (i.e. helpless and critical) thinking that
are typical of individuals with depression: namely negative thoughts about the self, the world and
the future. These thoughts tended to be automatic in depressed people as they occurred
spontaneously.
As these three components interact, they interfere with normal cognitive processing,
leading to impairments in perception, memory and problem solving with the person becoming
The first cluster theme is Negative View of Self. Depressed individuals tend to view
themselves as helpless, worthless, and inadequate. They interpret events in the world in a
unrealistically negative and defeatist way. Beck's main argument was that depression was
instituted by one's view of oneself, instead of one having a negative view of oneself due to
‘Negative View of the World and Future’ is the second cluster theme, inwhich they see
the world as posing obstacles that can’t be handled. They also see the future as totally hopeless
because their worthlessness will prevent their situation improving. A characteristic feature of
many depressed individuals is a pessimistic and negative view of their personal future. This
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clinical observation is covered in several conceptualizations of depression (e.g., Beck, Rush,
Shaw, & Emery, 1979; Abramson, Alloy, & Metalsky, 1989; Klinger, 1993)
According to Klinger (1993), negative view of the world and future in depressed persons
often concerns future periods when the wished for goal seems to be out of reach (e.g., “I will
never get married”). Melges and Bowlby (1969) argued that hopelessness is about reduced
expectancy of success. In sum, several authors have argued the expectancies about the future is a
“I didn’t realize my purpose here on Earth. I can say that I am good, I am being
myself, I help people, I try to be there for the people around me but I realize that no matter how
Anxiety Disorder
Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life. Anxiety is when those
feelings don't go away, they’re extreme for the situation, and you can’t seem to control them.
When anxiety is severe or there all the time, it makes it hard to cope with daily life. One specific
disorder is what you call OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is when a person has
which cause anxiety. So they then carry out actions to reduce the anxiety or get rid of those
thoughts.
They may know these thoughts are unreasonable but be unable to stop them. When OCD
is severe and left untreated, it can be very distressing, and get in the way of work, school and
29
“I over think and it never stop, most especially if I sleep late. The problems that I
have been going through are always on my mind. Recently, my panic attacks are getting worse I
experience chills and I could hardly breathe every time I over think. Sometimes, if I want to cry,
Learned Helpfulness
person learns that their attempts to escape negative situations make no difference. As a
consequence they become passive and will endure aversive stimuli or environments even when
escape is possible.
helplessness, whereby the individual gives up trying to influence their environment because they
have learned that they are helpless as a consequence of having no control over what happens to
them. Informant X described her experience: I think negative thoughts about myself that no
matter how hard you reach for that certain goal, it’s not really meant for you, not really meant
for me
30
Discussions
The entire emergent theme reflected the lived experiences of the informant in the causes
of teenage depression.
The first theme in the sociological causes is parents being emotionally and physically
abusive. Child abuse commonly underpins adult depression. In almost every case of significant
adult depression, some form of abuse was experienced in childhood, either physical, sexual,
emotional or, often, a combination. Scientists know that traumatic experiences such as child
abuse or neglect change the chemistry and even the structure of the brain.
Second emergent theme is entitled “Fake Friends”. A lot of the people described having
difficult and complex relationships and many felt depression had affected their friendships one
way or another. Many said they had never “fitted in” and making friends had been “hard work”
The third emergent them is unhealthy relationship with someone o partner. One of the
most important social causes for depression is a stressful relationship. When a relationship is not
working it turns into a stressor, which often causes depression among females and leads males to
alcohol abuse. Stressful relationship is the leading cause for depression among women.
We also have the emergent themes in the psychological causes. The first emergent theme
modify behavior through the use of positive and negative reinforcement. Through operant
consequence. Operant conditioning states that depression is caused by the removal of positive
31
Second emergent theme is the cognitive triad. The cognitive triad are three forms of
negative (i.e. helpless and critical) thinking that are typical of individuals with depression:
namely negative thoughts about the self, the world and the future. These thoughts tended to be
The third emergent theme is anxiety disorder. Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some
point in their life. Anxiety is when those feelings don't go away, they’re extreme for the
situation, and you can’t seem to control them. When anxiety is severe , it makes it hard to cope
with daily.
The last emergent theme is learned helpfulness. Martin Seligman (1974) proposed a
helplessness theory, depression occurs when a person learns that their attempts to escape
negative situations make no difference. This led Seligman (1974) to explain depression in
humans in terms of learned helplessness, whereby the individual gives up trying to influence
their environment because they have learned that they are helpless as a consequence of having no
32
Chapter V
Conclusion
The over-all proposition of the study evolves with the essence of ‘teenage depression’.
Although teenage depression is very relevant to our society today, this serves as an eye-opener to
other individuals that teenage depression is a serious matter that needs a serious action. It is a
mental illness that takes over the brain and inner feeling of teen boys and girls. If they experience
depression, they always feel that they are alone and talking to someone about their serious
condition can be very embarrassing. Teen depression is not an illness that can’t just go away on
its own. In an actual fact, sociological causes can be easily seen during teen depression, this
includes fake friends, being physically abused by parents and unhealthy relationship with
someone or partner. In addition, this study also presents psychological causes such as operant
Recommendation
It is further recommended that the informants must be more than one for more factual
evidences.
including general peer relations (peer crowd affiliations, peer victimization), and qualities of
family best friendships and romantic relationships as predictors of symptoms of depression and
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This study also recommends implication for practice. As many as one in every five teens
experience depression at some point during adolescence, but they often go undiagnosed and
untreated, sometimes because of a lack of access to mental health specialists. Recognizing that
pediatricians and other primary care providers are often in the best position to identify and help
struggling teens.
34
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APPENDICES
37
APPENDIX A1
Transmittal letter for the principal
38
APPENDIX A2
Informed Consent Release
39
APPENDIX A3
Informed Consent Form
40
APPENDIX A4
Interview Guide
41
Curriculum Vitae
Personal Data
Educational Background:
2006-2013
2013-2017
2017-present
42
Curriculum Vitae
Personal Data
Educational Background:
2007-2013
2013-2017
2017-present
43
Curriculum Vitae
Personal Background:
Educational Background:
2006-2013
2013-2017
2017-present
44