Individuals all around the world deal with
mental health every day but looking specifically at depression which is one of
the most common disorders diagnosed. In the United States, about five percent
or 1 in every 20 adolescents will experience an episode of Major Depression.
Having depression from a young age can cause an increase in substance abuse,
teen pregnancy, and unemployment. Which causes researchers to find ways to help
individuals who may be suffering from depression to allow for a better future.
Dr. Lauren Shapiro spoke about neurodevelopment
in adolescence as a critical period for growth, yet she questioned the effects
of developing a neuropsychiatric disorder during the development period. Dr.
Shapiro suggested in the article, “Rho-kinase inhibition as antidepressant-like
efficacy and expedites dendritic spine pruning in adolescent mice,” to inhibit
Rho-kinase (ROCK) as an antidepressant treatment in adolescences. She had done
this research on adolescent mice which are said to show similar results to
humans, Dr. Shapiro had used a ROCK inhibited by fasudil, in the ventromedial
prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) had dendritic spine pruning affects. Fasudil
was given three times in 24 hours by a single injection to the adolescent
female mice to compare to the effects of ketamine antidepressants. As a control
group saline was used injected into the mice as they performed the swim test to
show immobility and looked at the latency to approach food in relation to
depression. In female mice, the results showed fasudil caused the mice to
approach food less likely than ketamine, fluoxetine, and saline. Dr. Shapiro
also looked into the difference of ROCK inhibition of adult and adolescent mice
because of the drug therapy methods that are given to adolescents have shown an
increase in depression symptoms. She had suggested looking into ROCK inhibition
to prevent depression rates to increase in youths. Depression has been seeming
to be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, and antidepressants have
shown to help youths grow in their developmental stage.
Depression is well known as the disease which is
caused by a chemical imbalance, but there are also many environmental factors
as well. In the article, “Put that Phone Away-Now,” the author, Jean M. Twenge,
researched the effects of technology duration in relation to depression. The
rate of depression from the ages of 14 to 17 years old increased by more than
60% from 2009 to 2017. Numerous studies have shown the link between using
social applications in electrical devices to depression. Those individuals who
may already have these chemical imbalances can have their depression become
even more severe by the impact of social media. Even though genetics and
chemical imbalances play a role in mental illnesses, Twenge suggests limiting
the time of technology usage in adolescents to allow one less factor in
depression. She suggested that a reduction in technology usage can allow
adolescents to gain self-confidence along with avoiding negative behaviors.
Twenge uncovered that teenagers who use technology for five or more hours tend
to attempt suicide twice as much as an individual who uses technology for an
hour. This shows that individuals who at not actively using technology for most
of the day tend to be happier and less stressed.
Dr. Shapiro and the article presented both very
diverse but factual knowledge on the topic of depression. The article made a
claim of how there are other factors than bodily chemicals that are involved in
depression such as the usage of technology. Dr. Shapiro or other researchers
should look into the ability to inhibit ROCK while using technology.
Individuals should be informed that depression is a chemical disease but there
are many other environmental factors that can play a role in being diagnosed.
Dr. Shapiro did the study of ROCK inhibition in adolescent mice which is
similar to effects in humans, but the factor of the environment should also be
examined on the mice. Since technology has shown to cause some kind of
distress, the mice can be examined by being placed in an environment that
causes distress and being injected with the ROCK inhibitor. Further research
into the effects of anti-depressants in certain environments can allow for
better results on depression.
Works Cited
Mennitto, Donna. “Learning About Teen Depression (ADAP) at
Johns Hopkins.” Learning About Teen Depression (ADAP) at Johns Hopkins,
14 Nov. 2019, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/psychiatry/specialty_areas/moods/ADAP/.
Shapiro, Lauren P., et al. “Rho-Kinase Inhibition Has
Antidepressant-like Efficacy and Expedites Dendritic Spine Pruning in
Adolescent Mice.” Neurobiology of Disease, Academic Press, 26 Dec. 2018,
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969996118303851?via%3Dihub.
Twenge, Jean M. “Put That Phone Away--Now.” Time
International (Atlantic Edition), vol. 193,
no. 12, Apr. 2019, pp.
19–20. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=135466493&site=ehost-live.
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