Teenagers who experience depression and anger may have trouble in their love life as adults, according to a new study.
Previous studies have established that early depression may have long term consequences. Supporting these findings, researchers of a new study suggest that teens that experience depression and anger may have trouble in their love life as adults.
Researchers were surprised to find that negative emotions like depression and anger experienced during adolescence cling to a person's life well into adulthood. These emotions also affected a person even after life-changing events like child-rearing, marriages and careers.
"We assume or hope that high school experiences fade away and don't necessarily resonate 25 years later," University of Alberta researcher Matthew Johnson said in a statement. "The fact that symptoms of depression and expressions of anger can endure over many large events in life shows how important it is to deal with mental health early. Sometimes, problems don't just dissipate. How you grow and change over those early years becomes crucial to future happiness."
For the study, researchers examined 341 people for 25 years. The study began in 1985 and included 178 women and 163 men. At the start of the study, all the participants were 18. Researchers recorded their perceived levels of stress when they were 25 years and again when they were 32 years. When the participants reached 43 years of age, the researchers asked them about the quality of their intimate relationships. This gave the study authors an insight into whether any anger or depression the participants felt when they were younger still affected their relationship bonds.
"As individuals, people can help themselves by recognizing the fact that where they are in their couple relationship now is likely shaped by earlier chapters in their lives," Johnson added. "It's not only your partner's current behaviour or your current behaviour shaping your relationship, but the story you bring with you."
The findings emphasize on the importance of detecting and recognizing signs of mental health issues early in life so that future disasters like domestic violence and divorce can be avoided.
More than 11 percent of American teenagers develop a depression disorder by the time they reach 18 years of age, according to the National Institute of Mental health. There are multiple reasons why a teenager might become depressed. For example, teens can develop feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy over their grades. School performance, social status with peers, sexual orientation, or family life can each have a major effect on how a teen feels. Sometimes, teen depression may result from environmental stress.
The study was published in the Journal of Family Psychology.
