Survey: Holidays Depressing For Many Teens

Do the holidays have you down in the dumps?

If so, you're not alone. A new survey found that many adolescents suffer from depression and anxiety, with 54 percent of depressed girls and 19 percent of depressed boys saying it's worse during the holidays.

New York University Child Study Center reported a crisis of untreated depression and anxiety among American adolescents, particularly adolescent girls.

The survey, conducted by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates Inc., included Internet interviews with more than 400 teens between the ages of 13 and 19 between Dec. 3 and Dec. 6, 2002.

Nine out of 10 adolescents reported they have experienced feelings of depression or sadness, while 43 percent of adolescent girls and 28 percent of adolescent boys have experienced periods of depression that last at least two weeks. More than 80 percent of these depressed teens have never received treatment for their symptoms, according to the report.

The holiday season not only worsens depression for some adolescents, but it also promotes risky behavior. Depressed adolescents are more likely to drink alcohol, take nonprescription drugs and have sex, compared to their peers who have not experienced bouts of depression.

This is particularly true among depressed girls with nearly four out of 10 reporting that they are more likely to drink alcohol during the holidays. They are also more likely to engage in other at-risk behaviors, such as taking drugs and having sex, than girls who are not depressed.

"We know that teens that suffer from depression and do not receive treatment are at higher risk for abusing substances and engaging in risky behavior," said Dr. Harold Koplewicz, director of the NYU center and author of "More Than Moody: Recognizing and Treating Adolescent Depression."

"This survey shows that not only are depressed teens more at risk throughout the year, but that this risk increases during the holiday season," Koplewicz said. "Depressed teenagers are more sensitive to the environment than depressed adults; therefore, parents must be more alert during the holiday season for signs and symptoms of depression in their adolescents."

Nearly half of adolescents reported feelings of anxiety and worry that they perceive to be worse than those of their peers.

Warning signs of depression in teens include:

Irritable or depressed mood
Change in sleeping habits
Change in appetite
Difficulty concentrating
Social isolation
Deterioration in academic performance