Introduction
It is no secret that the youth of today are undergoing a health crisis. Although this one isn't some new disease or crazy trend, but it is easily as sinister. The crisis is in mental health. In fact, nearly one third of all high school students feel poor mental health, whilst 4 in 10 stopped engaging in their own activities due to hopelessness. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2 million youths had depression, and since the pandemic, rates have been on a steady rise. Some studies have estimated a doubled amount since the pandemic, especially within female high schoolers, with 57% of female high schoolers describing intense sadness, compared to 29% of males.
Research has suggested that social support is a protective factor for poor mental health, and intervention shave show success. The ways in which this support can manifest are limitless, whether through family, school, friends, or anything else. One example shows that teacher and family support showed promise, but not friends. This suggests a high impact of family on these depressive feelings. Friend support was also shown, with another review showing that positive peer support is just as effective.
In 1985, Cohen's Social Support Theory, which posed the idea that social support directly affected psychological distress as a protective factor allowing individuals to cope with stressful experiences. This also allowed people to cope better and experience less harm from stress.
Methods
Secondary data from the Adolescent Health and Development in Context (AHDC) was used for youths aged 11-17. It focused on spatial and social exposures on health and well-being. The study was conducted in the American midwest in an urban area. The racial and household income of the studied group was relatively standard. Interviewers were trained and sent in to collect data in the home setting. An entrance survey, and interviews with both the youth and primary caregiver, as well as a weeklong ecological momentary assessment. GPS collection of the location of the youth and an exit interview concluded the weeklong period.
The dependent variables of interest were psychological distress and anxiety symptoms. Distress was defined as depressive symptoms measured by an adapted depression scale from the Center for Epidemiological Studies. Youth responded to a self-report questionnaire inquiring on frequency of depressive symptoms. Some examples included "I was bothered by things that don't usually bother me " and "I felt I could not shake off the blues even with the help of my family and friends." Responses ranged from "Rarely/ none of the time/ 1 day" to "Most/ all of time/ 5-7 days." Anxiety symptoms were measured using an 8-item Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement System. Youth self-reported the symptoms with similar questions to the ones listed prior.
The independent variables of interest were both family and friend emotional support. Both were measured using questionnaires assessing perceived emotional support from family and friends. Control measures, such as the self-reported demographics including age, sex, race, ethnicity, and pubertal development using a 7-item scale. Any psychiatric medication or other prescriptions were reported by caregivers. Any youth utilizing antidepressants or attention-deficit disorder medications were marked as taking substances that affect the brain. Annual household income was also taken into account and split into 4 categories.
It is important to note the lack of implication of causation, which shows a lack of nuance in the study. It is also good to note the limited demographic of the people studied within this example. The fleeting nature of depressive symptoms also gives a limitation as this was only during a specific time of the year. A recent bad experience with a friend or family member could skew results and give untrue implications.
Results
The inclusion criteria for this analysis required complete data of the variables. The mean age was 14 years, with a mean pubertal development of 3 on a 1-4 scale. The mean for depressive symptoms was 1.72 on a 1-3 scale, and anxiety was a 1.72 on the same scale. Over 30% of caregivers reported a household income under $30,000 with means for family and friend support of 2.65 on a 1-3 scale and 2.64 on the same scale respectively. Household income had the most missing data with 93 missing observations.
The study showed support for adolescent mental health aligned with proper research. The quality of social support, in some cases was shown to be more impactful. In our own study, we noticed that a lot of other factors, other than the simple influence of support itself, played a role in the distress in the teenagers. No correlation was shown based on sex, with similar results in men and women. A prior analysis found parental support as more effective for females. A broad view of gender identity was not used in this study however. Many clinical implications are shown, with many suggesting the importance of preventative measures such as screening or early treatment in vulnerable psychological states. Primary care and other health professionals also have the ability to provide early life support that can be very transformative for the mental state of impressionable young people. Public health concerns and interventions strengthen existing ties and help for future approaches to this issue, with the spreading mental health crisis, the new innovations are getting better.
Conclusion
The findings here show the importance of social support in mitigating psychological distress in youth. The implications can extend to clinical practice and clearly emphasize a need for routine assessment of social support networks among youth, such as during mental health assessments. Identifying symptoms may serve as a key measure in reducing the burden of psychological torment during such a critical period of a young person's life. Any new research should focus on longitudinal studies to explore relationships between the two factors, and relate causation of support and distress. The dynamic nature of relationships and their impact on mental health is important to monitor. Overall, the features of this study are very key indicators of factors in the psyche of a teen, and the most important takeaway is to treasure those around you. Whether friends or family, the people around you have a huge impact on you, and your well-being and mental health.
