University seeks better way to treat depression in teens

JACKSON, Tenn. — According to JAMA Pediatrics, 7.7 million children had a mental health disorder in 2019.

Officials in West Tennessee say they’ve seen a spike in teens with depression over the past couple of years.

“I think one of the reasons is because we’ve been working to decrease the stigma around mental health, so more people are willing to ask for help,” said Rural West council member Lynn Julian with the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network.

Vanderbilt University is starting a new study on better ways to treat depression in teens, and its specific focus is cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT.

There are some signs to look out for in teens with depression.

“A drop in grades. An increase in isolation. Lack of communication. They might act out behaviorally,” Julian said.

For the study in Nashville, they’re looking for teens aged 14 to 18 with depression symptoms. Anyone can participate, but you’ll have to be in Nashville two nights a week for eight weeks.

The teens will be placed in groups after doing an electroencephalogram, EEG, to see how their brains respond to rewards and emotional images.

They will have structured meetings each week with a workbook and short homework assignments they’ll come back and discuss.

And getting help with depression now will help them later in life.

“If you don’t treat your depression as a teen, as an adult, you can have relationship issues. You can have difficulty getting and keeping a job,” Julian said.

If you think someone’s depression is leading them to suicide, reach out to the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

For more information on the study, go to Vanderbilt University’s website.