Rodriguez 1

Vanessa Araly Rodriguez

Casey Flores

ENG 1201

26 April 2023

How does depression affect young adults and their relationships?

Depression is the mental disorder that most affects the world's population, and

worldwide, about 280 million people of different ages are affected by depression. Every year the

number of people suffering from depression increases, due to different situations or problems

they face in their daily lives. The frequency of depression was highest among adults between the

ages of 18 and 29 years (21.0%). Depression is the second most common mental disorder among

American adults, affecting 17.3 million people annually.

This disease affects the sufferer's life in general, affecting his or her family circle and

personal, work, and social relationships. This disease affects not only the sufferer, but also the

people around them, people related to a family member, friend or loved one who suffers from

depression, due to the behavior that this disease provokes in them.

The study obtained from the article Young Adult Anxiety or Depressive Symptoms and

Mental Health Service Utilization During the COVID-19 Pandemic published April 11 in the

scientific Journal of Adolescent Health, focused on improving the health and wellness of young

adults, utilized data from U.S. Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey (HPS) to identify the

reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in a sample of 2,809 adults aged 18 to 25 years. This

data was collected around June 2021. Of the young adults, 48% reported depressive symptoms
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and 39% were using prescription medication and receiving medical counseling, while 36%

claimed dissatisfaction with medical counseling.

Depression can become a serious health problem if not treated early and can result in

suicidal thoughts. It is estimated that over 700,000 people die by suicide yearly, and it is the

fourth cause of death among people aged 15 to 29 years.

Depression is a mental condition described as a disorder of a person's mood. It affects its

victims not only mentally, but also physically and emotionally. All people have felt sadness, or

melancholy throughout their lives that usually disappear with the passing of the days, however,

depression is more than a feeling, or an emotion, is in which sadness, anger, frustration ends up

interfering with the daily activities of people, which may last for weeks, months or even years if

poorly treated. This disease can affect any person of any social circle, regardless of age, race,

culture, gender, or educational level. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration).

Depression can show up at any age, but usually starts in the teenage years or early

adulthood, making young adults between the ages of 18 - 25 an easy target for this disease. It is

estimated that the rate of depression in women is higher than in men, this is because some of the

men hide their emotions, may appear aggressive or irritable, while women show their emotions

more easily. (National Institute of Mental Health)

There is no specific reason a person may suffer from depression; each case is different

depending on the circumstances or experiences of each person. There is no specific cause as to

why it has increased in recent years, but studies reveal that is related to dramatic personal events,

such as the loss of a loved one, family problems, school, economic problems, drugs, alcohol, or
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the diagnosis of a serious illness, based on the diagnoses of the National Center for

Biotechnology Information.

However, the most common causes in young adults include:

 Family problems, quarrels, or arguments with a family member

 Financial problems in the family circle

 School problems, such as being the victim of bullying by classmates or teachers

 Abuse by a partner, end of a love relationship, or death of a loved one.

Symptoms are diverse, but among them can be found:

 Persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, or emptiness.

 Feeling irritable, tired, frustrated easily.

 Lack of interest or pleasure in enjoyable past activities.

 Feeling guilty, worthless, or incompetent

 Difficulty sleeping, insomnia or hypersomnia

 Difficulty concentrating or making decisions

 Sudden weight loss or gain

 Aches or pains, headaches, body aches, or digestive problems

 Suicidal thought

Depression impacts all areas of life, such as sleep, nutrition, education, work,

concentration, productivity, and personal relationships. This disease affects the entire

environment of those who suffer from it, because it affects every aspect of their body and mind.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8.1% of Americans over the 20
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years of age experienced depression in a two-week period, however, each case experiences this

disorder differently, it can be a minor problem in the presence of other circumstances until it

affects the relationship with other people around them.

Therefore, a person may stop eating, or even excessive eating, leading to some disease

that may eventually bring consequences, such as anemia or obesity. It also causes difficulties in

sleeping, leading to a person not getting enough rest, and feeling unenergetic, unwilling to get

up, or disoriented. According to Very well mind scientifically and medically proven article

specifies that depression often makes people more irritable, and more difficult to deal with, and

this can lead to social isolation.

People often feel irritable more than usual when they are depressed. This can cause

personal relationship problems, since depression affects them indirectly, due to lack of

communication, many times people with depression do not want to talk about their problems,

have negative attitudes, see flaws or problems where there are none, feel lack of energy or lack

of interest to do things they used to do together, lack of effort in the relationship, for a

relationship to last, and stay healthy, both people must be present and emotionally committed to

the couple.

Similarly, depression can reduce sexual desire, which can affect the relationship, since

many times, couples do not understand this, and may face misunderstandings, in which the

partners take it personally towards them, and feel rejected. This can also cause people with

depression to seek help in vices, such as alcohol or drugs, and abuse them, which for them can

help them to reduce the effects of depression, however, this ends up affecting their partners,

since the abuse of these substances leads to fights and disagreements.

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Nevertheless, it can also affect other social interactions in daily life, such as those with

friends, family, classmates, teachers, and co-workers.

People with depression often have trouble relating to others or new people, because it can

make them concerned about what people might think of them and may lead them to stay at home

and skip social activities. However, if a person with depression and social anxiety decides to go

out, they will often try to plan exactly what they are going to say in their head or try to keep

control of what they do or say, so they may miss important contextual clues in conversations, this

can cause difficulty in meeting new people or starting a new relationship.

It is also possible that this disease distances people from their families, in some cases, it

may cause parents to neglect their children, by not paying attention to important things like

school, notable events, or simply rejecting them for lack of interest or energy, this affects the

family circle. In other cases, when children suffer from depression, it is difficult for some parents

to cope with the situation, as they may feel guilty for their child's condition. Many parents do not

know how to deal with their child's depression, it can be difficult to understand, and to cope

with. It is important to mention that every family experience depression differently.

These depressive problems may focus on motivation and decision making. They may

experience a sense of excessive tiredness and poor motivation, which makes it hard for them to

concentrate on work or school activities, and their performance declines and deteriorates.

Research released by the U.S. National Library of Medicine indicates that depression is

reported to cost the United States $10 billion a year in lost productivity. Therefore, some changes

that may be evident in work and school performance may be slowness and frequent errors, more

frequent unexcused absences, failure to comply with schedules, tasks, jobs and frequently forget
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their responsibilities, arguments or confrontations with work or classmates. This disease can

significantly affect their ability to perform their work or school activities effectively. People with

depression may be afraid to talk about their mental health or depression at work for fear of

repercussions. Nevertheless, individuals who have depression are protected from harassment and

discrimination in the workplace by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). (Phoenix

Recovery Center).

Social support is an important key to coping with the symptoms of depression. It is

essential to show empathy towards people suffering from this disease, to be comprehensive with

their feelings, and most importantly, not to do it alone, seek professional help for the diagnosis

and treatment of depression, this is a crucial step for recovery, because if not treated in time can

have irreparable consequences.

In 2019, a table comparing data from different age groups indicated that 41% percent of

18–25-year-old young adults reported dissatisfaction with mental health services, compared to

26% of all older adults. For most young adults, the unmet need for counseling climbed from 16%

in August 2020 to 23% in January 2021, the largest increase for any adult age group. Data

provided from a study by SAMHSA, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality,

National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2018 and 2019. Psychotherapy has been considered a

fundamental treatment for the recovery of those suffering from depression. It consists of talking

to a mental health specialist, who evaluates the patient's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors,

which helps determine the cause and how to resolve it. Usually, depression is diagnosed by a

specialist, who provides therapy and/or prescribes medication as appropriate.

Psychotherapy may last for months until the patient recovers, or even years depending on

each case. However, if psychotherapy may not work for everyone, that is why antidepressant
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medication is indicated to help moderate or severe depression. Medications and antidepressants

can help change the brain chemistry that causes depression. Evaluation by a mental health

professional is essential, as not all antidepressants help everyone in the same way. It is important

to treat them, and not to self-medicate, it is relevant to mention that recovery can be slow

depending on the type of depression and how advanced the disease is, therefore, this can take

months or even years.

Depression was

most prevalent in young

adults aged 18 to 25

years, at over 17%;

however, it is one of the

most treatable if treated

early. According to

Columbia University

Mailman School of

Public Health and City University of New York, in 2020, almost one in ten Americans and one

in five adolescents and young adults suffered from depression in the past 12 months. Many

people live with depression most of their lives, for fear of what people will say or face reality.

However, it is necessary to reach out to these people, and encourage them to seek help, so that

they can return to the activities they once enjoyed.

As already mentioned, depression affects every area of life, both the sufferer's own life

and that of the people around him or her. Knowing how to identify depressive symptoms and

behaviors can be a fundamental factor for immediate help and prevention of life-threatening
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situations. Depression often goes unnoticed in many families and social circles, believing that

sufferers may be exaggerating or simply having a difficult day. Unfortunately, there is

speculation that talking about depression encourages people to commit suicide or feel worse,

when in fact this can help the person feel understood and listened to.

It is important to help and support a person who has depression so that he/she does not

feel alone, to learn about the disease to know how to act, including talking to the person about

what is afflicting him/her, listening without judging, providing support and assistance of any

kind, being understanding, patient and making the person feel that he/she is not alone, including

him/her in plans and helping him/her to look ahead in life.

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Works Cited

Adams, Sally H., et al. “Young Adult Anxiety or Depressive Symptoms and Mental Health

Service Utilization during the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Journal of Adolescent Health,

Elsevier, 11 Apr. 2022,

https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(22)00344-5/fulltext.

Berthold, Jess. “48% Of Young Adults Struggled with Mental Health in Mid-2021.” 48% Of

Young Adults Struggled with Mental Health in Mid-2021 | UC San Francisco, 13 Apr.

2023, https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2022/04/422611/48-young-adults-struggled-mental-

health-mid-2021.

“Depression and Relationships.” Ashley Addiction Treatment, 14 Mar. 2023,

https://www.ashleytreatment.org/rehab-blog/depression-and-relationships/. Accessed 20

March 2023.

“Depression: Causes, Symptoms, Types & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic, 1 Jan. 2023,

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9290-depression. Accessed 20 March 2023.

“Depression: Supporting a Family Member or Friend.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for

Medical Education and Research, 13 Dec. 2022, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-

conditions/depression/in-depth/depression/art-20045943. Accessed 20 March 2023.

“Depression.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 13 Sept. 2021,

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression. Accessed 20 March 2023.

DiMaria, Lauren. “Depressed Teens May Have Less Secure Relationships.” Verywell Mind,

Verywell Mind, 27 May 2022, https://www.verywellmind.com/depression-in-relationships-

1067559#citation-1. Accessed 20 March 2023.

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Hidaka, Brandon H. “Depression as a Disease of Modernity: Explanations for Increasing

Prevalence.” Journal of Affective Disorders, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Nov.

2012, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3330161/. Accessed 20 March 2023

“Men and Depression.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health, and

Human Services, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/men-and-depression.

“Mental Health Conditions: Depression and Anxiety.” Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 Sept. 2022,

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/diseases/depression-anxiety.html.

Accessed 20 March 2023.

ThePhoenixRC. “Work Depression: How It Affects You and What to Do.” The Phoenix

Recovery Center, The Phoenix Recovery Center, 9 Jan. 2019,

https://www.thephoenixrc.com/depression-at-work-how-it-affects-you-and-what-to-do/.

“Warning Signs and Risk Factors for Emotional Distress.” SAMHSA, 16 May 2022,

https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline/warning-signs-risk-factors.