Rising Mental Health Issues Among Teens: Research Paper

Introduction

According to Graf and Horowitz (2019), from Pew Research Center, the number of teenagers manifesting mental health issues such as depression and anxiety is significantly increasing. The purpose of the research was to understand why a significant number of teenagers perceive anxiety and depression as critical issues during adolescence. According to the research data, the study involved 920 participants, both boys, and girls, between 13 and 17 years (Graf & Horowitz, 2019). The study utilized questionnaires that focused on the participants' pressures and prospects after completing each schooling stage. The hypothesis developed was that the current societal setting is the cause of increased anxiety and depression among teenagers. The independent variable was the sex of the teenagers, whereas the dependent variables included age, socio-economic status, race, gender, and environment. The research results identified that over 70% of all participating teenagers perceived anxiety and depression as a significant problem. Bullying followed with just over 55%, demonstrating that teenagers are under much pressure, which they find challenging to manage (Graf & Horowitz, 2019). Due to the unique nature of individuality, the issue has no universal solution.

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Popular Press Publication

According to the Zraick, K. (2019), a New York Times journalist, the research published by Graf and Horowitz (2019), addressed the notion that the majority of teenagers today view anxiety and depression as a leading problem amongst their peers (Zraick, 2019). According to the publication, the problem is not limited to a specific group but affects all demographics. The data from the study demonstrated the severity of the issue.

Further research conducted by Zraick (2019) concluded that mental health issues are psychological responses to the current societal setting. The publication also included questions such as the comparisons of mental health issues to others, such as teenage alcoholism and teenage pregnancies. Moreover, the data was compared to other studies relating to the issue of adolescents and mental health. By comparing the research data from Denizet-Lewis, B. (2017), the author demonstrated the growing problem (Zraick, 2019). Nevertheless, the author simplified the gravity of the problem for the audience to comprehend. Nonetheless, the assessment of the publication was a close representation of the research information. The data representing the problem was more diverse; moreover, it was not equally distributed between the independent variables. Besides, the author failed to represent the other issues that teenagers face that were included in the original research paper.

Overall, the author concludes that post-9/11 teenagers have experienced numerous distressing incidents. From school shootings, racism, socio-economic segregation, and social media surveillance, teenagers today have an increased probability of having mental health issues (Zraick, 2019). After an interview with an associate executive director at the American Psychological Association, the author concluded that teenagers are experiencing an overload of information. During adolescents, teenagers experience numerous bodily changes that alter the brain's functionality (Zraick, 2019). However, when coupled with the non-stop flow of information from the internet and other sources, they lack the proper coping mechanisms. The publication was appropriate for the public audience. However, it heavily relies on text to depict the research, to improve the presentation of the data and information, it should utilize more diagrams. By allowing the audience to visualize the data, the acuteness of the problem is appropriately depicted.

References

Graf, N., & Horowitz, J. (2019). Most U.S. Teens See Anxiety, Depression as Major Problems. Retrieved 24 June 2020, from https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2019/02/20/most-u-s-teens-see-anxiety-and-depression-as-a-major-problem-among-their-peers/

Zraick, K. (2019). Teenagers Say Depression and Anxiety Are Major Issues Among Their Peers. Retrieved 24 June 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/20/health/teenage-depression-statistics.html