Finding Purpose at 17: Study Shows It Can Lower Adult Depression Risk by 35%

Depression in adolescents

Depression is defined by Ameli as being a common psychological illness which, through its mood disorders, seriously disrupts daily life. This can, for example, manifest itself in a drop in morale or motivation, unease or even a deep feeling of sadness that does not fade.

Depression is an illness that can occur at any age, particularly during adolescence, a period of life when we are still searching for ourselves and where the stress of adult life begins to appear. According to the Brain Institute, 10 to 15% of adolescents suffer from depression.

However, a new American-French study published in the journal Journal of Psychiatric Research showed that there was an effective way to combat the development of depression during adolescence.

As part of their work, the research team used data from the Longitudinal Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) “Transition to Adulthood” supplement to examine whether feelings of meaning in life at ages 17-19 predict the onset of depression up to age 28. The PSID is a longitudinal survey that follows individuals and families over several years to analyze social, economic and health developments.

More than 2800 participants

After making a selection to exclude participants who were already depressed at the start, the researchers followed, every two years, 2,821 adolescents until they were 28 years old. Women made up about 51% of the group, and a significant portion of participants identified as Black or Hispanic, the study said.

To measure depression, they used the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, a questionnaire that asks participants to indicate the frequency of six specific symptoms over the past month: nervousness, hopelessness, agitation, feeling like everything takes effort, sadness, and feeling worthless.

A cumulative score was assigned to each participant. Those whose score exceeded a certain threshold were considered to have high distress, which is an indicator of depression.

The researchers then used statistical models to examine whether initial assessments of sense of purpose, taken between ages 17 and 19, could predict which people would fall into the depressed category during the follow-up period, up to age 28.

A reduction in the risk of developing depression by 35%

The results of this study showed that a high sense of purpose in work activity in late adolescence protects against depression, reducing the risk by approximately 35% per standard deviation.

More simply, when the participant had a perspective for the future and felt useful to society through their profession, they were 35% less likely to develop depression.

“This study draws on a solid set of data to quantify this intuition, and especially on its evolution over time: adolescents who feel more useful are less likely to suffer from depression as they transition to adulthood,” said Angelina R. Sutin, study author and professor at Florida State University College of Medicine, in comments reported by
PsyPost.

According to researchers, the feeling of having a purpose in life acts as psychological support, helping adolescents overcome the challenges of transitioning to adulthood.

By focusing on long-term goals, they better manage stress and avoid despair. This sense of purpose also promotes better emotional regulation and lasting motivation, helping to prevent depression.

Source: PsyPost