An estimated 1 in 5 American adults, 18 and older, suffer from a mental disorder.  Approximately 5.9% of teen females and 4.6% teen males are affected by major depressive disorders.  According to a study done in Durham, North Carolina, these types of disorders appear to be cured on the first onset, however the condition seems to be reoccurring in almost half of adolescents.

“It is associated with functional impairment, risk of suicide and risk of adult depression,” says John Curry, Ph.D., of Duke University Medical Center. “Thus, it is important to investigate not only the efficacy of adolescent major depressive disorder treatments but also whether they reduce the risk of subsequent negative outcomes, especially depression recurrence.”

The study was made up of 196 adolescents, 86 males and 110 females.  All teens were apart of the Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS) and were randomly assigned to one of four treatment programs, each with a five year follow up.

96.4% of the participants recovered from their first onset of depression during the follow-up period, which 88.3% recovered in two years.  Of the 189 adolescents who recovered, 88 (or 46.6%) had a reoccurrence.  Medication and therapy techniques did not reduce the risk of reoccurrence, which was contrary to the study’s original hypotheses.

However, some results were hard to ignore.  Participants who did not respond to short-term treatment were more likely to experience a reoccurrence, especially in females.  Some teens that also had anxiety disorders were more likely to experience reoccurrence; 61.9% compared to 42.2% of those without additional disorders.  Even more startling, participants that had depression reoccurrence scored higher on scales of suicidal behaviors and thoughts.

“Our results reinforce the importance of modifying a short-term treatment that leads to partial response or non-response because these were associated with less likelihood of recovery in two years,” the authors write. “The finding that recurrence rates increased significantly from two to three years after baseline suggests that recurrence prevention efforts, such as symptom or medication monitoring or cognitive behavioral therapy booster sessions may be of value beyond the [18-week] maintenance period included in TADS.”

Depression is important to watch out for in all ages.  Teen depression can grow and lead on to worse things, so it is important to be aware of what is going on in their minds and how they are coping.