Of the many aspects of adolescent mental health, it appears watching television and depression go together. A study in the February issue of Archives of General Psychiatry describes a national, heterogeneous sample of students, grades 7 to 12, for whom depression increased with each additional hour of television viewing. Seven years after the study began, by 7.4 percent met criteria for depression. This is slightly higher than the 5 percent estimate for teen depression given by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Study results are based on 4142 people who were not depressed at the beginning of the study. Males seem to be more vulnerable than females.
It is not clear whether people watch TV because they are depressed, or what they see (idealized gender roles, risky behavior, disturbing images), or whether a pre-existing vulnerability leads to more viewing time. Still, the authors conclude, "television and overall media exposure are associated with the development of depressive symptoms in young adulthood." Depression is a treatable disorder.
