Cover Letter

To: Prof. Kimberly Freeman, COLWRIT 161 class, College Writing Program

From: Cameron Jacobs

Date: 14 November 2023

Subject: Use of biomarkers to identify depression in adolescents

This article is an “explainer piece” that is used to give an objective and informative view on a

topic. The audience for this piece would be a general audience that is interested in psychology or

the mind as well as mental health. It might be published in the New York Times or as a BBC

article where they would be informing people of this topic. It could be accessed through online

websites or in newspapers/health magazines. I also cited my sources through in-text links as that

is what all of the publishers I based my work off of do in their genres.

 Unlocking the Silent Struggle: Breakthroughs in Identifying and Treating Adolescent

Depression through Biomarkers

John was one of the most outgoing, lovable, wonderful people in the world. If you ever

had the pleasure of interacting with him, your first thought would be Wow, this guy has

everything figured out. I hope to one day be as great of a person as him. However, unbeknownst

to everyone around him, John was facing a multitude of mental health issues. It was only after

his suicide did everyone realize just how much he was struggling. Why John decided to face

these demons alone is something that we will never understand. For everyone close to him, it

seemed genuinely impossible; He was the absolute last person we would have expected to have

been dealing with these issues. Unfortunately, this heartbreaking story is all too familiar for

many adolescents. According to the CDC, 1 in 5 adolescents experience major depressive

episodes. Furthermore, many youth hide true emotions and refuse to discuss feelings, making it

difficult for healthcare professionals, parents, and friends to detect depression early. With

depression plaguing adolescents today, identifying and treating it quickly is imperative.

However, challenges in identification and intervention raise concerns about effectively and

quickly diagnosing depression.

Currently, identifying adolescent depression

involves psychological evaluation where doctors ask

about thoughts, feelings, and behavior. However, this

method lacks quantifiable, objective physiological

https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/depression
measures and instead, relies on word-of-mouth: This proves difficult as adolescents are often

reluctant to discuss mental health issues due to stigma, fear of judgment, or lack of

self-awareness.

Recently, researchers addressed these challenges by exploring biomarkers (biological

indicators of the body's internal condition) as a potential solution, aiming to find objective,

reliable measures for identifying depression. Up to this point, most population studies on

biomarkers in depression have not included younger age groups. However, with a new focus on

specific adolescent biomarkers, researchers hope to better understand depression and identify

biomarkers for effectively diagnosing adolescent depression.

Unraveling Inflammation's Role in Adolescent Depression

One increasingly popular theory on teenage depression proposes a causal relationship

between inflammation and the mental illness. Clinical trials have shown inflammation in

individuals with depression; one study found a link between depression and severe anxiety with a

greater stress to inflammation ratio . This pattern was also seen in teenagers, where the

emergence of depressive disorders two years later was predicted by a stress to inflammation

ratio. This suggests that changes between these two indicator systems could serve as an early

predictor of adolescent depression.

In another study, researchers discovered elevated inflammatory markers and reduced

neurotrophin concentrations in young individuals who had attempted suicide, suggesting a

possible link between inflammation, changed neurotrophin levels, and an increased risk of

suicide. Recognizing possible early indicators such as these can pave the way for targeted
interventions and preventive measures to mitigate the risk of depression and suicide in these

vulnerable populations.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/biomarkers-market-entry-strategies-new-players-share-size-pasalkar/?trk=pulse-article

The Mind and Nervous System’s Role

When exploring the brain and nervous system, researchers

found strong evidence that dysregulation of the

hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA axis - the stress

response system) is involved in adult depression onset.

Studies from the early 2000s showed heightened HPA axis activity in depressed patients versus

controls. This alludes to the idea that the stress is linked to depression in adolescents

In another study, researchers found that a key brain component called α-tubulin isn't

working properly in those with depression, leading to a kind of traffic jam that causes another

important element, G-αs, to get stuck in specific areas of the brain, potentially contributing to the

development of depression. However, the study looked at a wide age range and was not

adolescent-specific, so while promising, more investigation is necessary to prove efficacy in

adolescents as a biomarker for depression.

The Rest of the Body

Researchers have also uncovered intriguing connections between mental health and

physical well-being in adolescents. One study discovered that depressed adolescents had higher

resting heart rates than their normal counterparts, even accounting for sex, depression severity,

duration, and medication use. This suggests a possible link between depression and this heart rate

in adolescents. In another study, researchers investigated gut permeability (gut leaking) in

depressed individuals, finding a connection between permeability and certain symptoms, like

fatigue. This hints gut permeability may partially explain links between the nervous system and

depression severity.

Additionally, in another article, researchers explored relationships between gut

microbiota, probiotics, the HPA axis, and depression. It found gut microbiota can dysregulate the

HPA axis, impacting brain development and potentially contributing to adolescent depression.

The article also discussed probiotics' potential as a novel adolescent depression treatment based

on evidence they prevent stress effects in adults and alleviate adult depression symptoms.

However, much more research is needed due to probiotics being barely studied in adolescents

and the brain-gut mechanisms being poorly understood.

https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/12/biomarkers-are-how-cancers-give-up-their-secrets/

Final Thoughts

In the wake of heartbreaking stories such as John’s, researchers hope to find answers that

will help prevent these future situations. Despite affecting 1 in 5 adolescents, the conventional

methods of identifying and addressing these mental health struggles still fall short, hindered by

stigma and the reluctance of teenagers to openly discuss their emotional well-being. However, a

promising shift emerges through this exploration of biomarkers, offering objective measures for

swift diagnosis. These findings are opening new avenues for early detection and targeted
interventions in adolescents. John's story serves as a sobering reminder that the evolution of

mental health discourse is essential. It calls for us to not only embrace innovative research in the

mental health field but to also have open communication with those around us. In doing so, we

are paving the way for a future where stories like John's are prevented.