Depression is a foremost public health issue among adolescents in the United States as the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 3.2 million adolescents aged 2 to 17 In the U.S. had at least one major depressive incident as of 2020, which represents 13.3% of the adolescent’s population (Reangsing et al 2021). This value is alarming and points out that depression during the adolescent years can have severe results, including reduced school and social effectiveness. Adolescence is a fragile stage of development that is marked by considerable physical, emotional, and social deviations. The adolescent stage is often a period when depressants receive their first depressive experiences between the ages of 15 to 19 (Beirão et al., 2020). Risk factors for depression in adolescents include psychological factors like low self-worth and negative thinking and configurations and social issues like family conflict, peer complications, and socioeconomic hindrances (Reangsing et al., 2021). Considering the distinctive encounters and weaknesses of this population is vital in addressing the public health load of adolescent depression.
Depression in adolescents denotes a variety of negative social and health impacts as depressed teenagers show a higher probability of facing academic hardships, high levels of truancy, and increased possibility risks of dropping out of school (Reangsing et al, 2021). For example, a research analysis found that adolescents with depression were nearly twice as likely to drop out of high school as equated to their non-depressed peers (Beirão et al., 2020). Depression also increases threats of drug abuse among adolescents. An extensive study revealed that adolescents with depression were 2.5 times more likely to get involved in substance abuse than those without depression (Miller & Campo, 2021). Most threatening, depression is a main risk aspect for suicidal thoughts and efforts among adolescents. Suicide is rated as the top cause of death among individuals between 10 to 24, and over 40% of adolescents who die by suicide have analyzed mental health illness as the most common depression (Miller & Campo, 2021). These excruciating figures highlight the serious need to address depression among adolescents and lessen its devastating concerns.
Culture can play a substantial role in how depression is experienced and conveyed by adolescents. Different social groups may have distinct views, morals, and standards that affect the expression and discernment of mental health matters. For example, in some Asian cultures, mental illness may be stigmatized, and adolescents may be less likely to converse about their emotional tussles (Ai et al., 2022) openly. In Hispanic/Latino cultures, the concept of “familismo” – a strong identification and attachment to family – can shape how adolescents handle and seek help for depression (Ai et al., 2022). This cultural stigma can generate obstacles to pursuing and engaging in mental healthcare, leading to hindered or evasion of treatment. Socioeconomic position, immigration practices, and marginal racial/ethnic distinctiveness can also overlap with culture to influence the mental health of adolescents. Adolescents from low-income and immigrant households and ethnic minority groups often face distinctive stressors in accessing quality mental healthcare, which can worsen the effects of depression (Beirão et al., 2020). These inequalities in access and utilization of mental health services can result in inferior mental health results for culturally varied adolescent populations.
Nurses play an essential part in assisting the mental health of depressed adolescents, mainly through the lens of cultural capability. Some important nursing aids include culturally receptive approaches. Nurses should be conscious of how cultural factors may impact the way adolescents express and define their depressive signs or symptoms. Using culturally authenticated screening tools and engaging in thoughtful, open-minded conversation can aid build trust and elicit more precise info about the adolescent’s mental health condition (Reangsing et al., 2021). For example, in some Asian cultures, adolescents may be more likely to describe somatic indicators like exhaustion or headaches rather than emotional distress. Distinguishing these cultural variances can help nurses offer more wide-ranging and tailored valuations.
Second is offering family-centered care. Given the significance of family in many cultures, nurses should include caregivers in the valuation and treatment process for depressed adolescents while also respecting the adolescent’s need for confidentiality and independence. Nurses can educate families about depression, assist in facilitating open communication, and support caregivers in fostering a nurturing, low-stress atmosphere (Reangsing et al., 2021). This cooperative approach can be mainly helpful for Hispanic/Latino adolescents, where the concept of families may play an essential role in their mental health. Moreover, nurses aid in reducing the stigma related to mental illness within diverse cultural communities. This role may comprise providing psychoeducation, challenging misconceptions, and emphasizing the pervasiveness and treatable nature of depression. Developing a safe, open-minded environment is fundamental (Beirão et al., 2020). In cultures where mental illness is extremely stigmatized, such as some Asian communities, this intervention can have a great impact on inspiring adolescents to pursue and engage in mental healthcare.
Furthermore, nurses provide culturally tailored interventions. Evidence-based treatments for adolescent depression, such as mental and interpersonal therapy, should be improved to support the cultural views, practices, and preferences of the adolescent and their family. Nurses can cooperate with mental health workers to guarantee the cultural applicability and suitability of interventions (Beirão et al., 2020). For example, in Hispanic/Latino cultures, integrating family-focused methods and stressing the significance of social support may improve the efficiency of depression treatments. Additionally, nurses can assist in care management, assisting different families to access available mental health resources, overcoming communication barriers, and addressing social bases of health that may be intensifying depression (Reangsing et al., 2021). This may encompass involving adolescents and their families with community-based organizations, interpreting educational materials, and supporting for increased funding and accessibility of mental healthcare services.
Overall, depression is a rising critical health issue that affects a massive percentage of adolescents in the United States. Depressed adolescents encounter a wide range of diverse negative health effects, including educational difficulties, drug abuse, and increased suicide threats. Cultural factors can deeply outline the understanding and expression of depression, as well as provide access to and facilitate engagements with mental healthcare amenities. As forefront healthcare workers, nurses play a crucial part in supporting the mental health of socially diverse adolescent populations. Through culturally approachable assessment, family-based care, stigma reduction, culturally designed interventions, and care management, nurses can guarantee that all adolescents have access to the resources and provision they need to manage depression and accomplish ideal mental health results.
One vital lesson I learned from this project is the reflective inspiration that culture can have on an individual’s mental health experience and care-seeking conduct. Before this comprehensive assessment, I had a more shallow insight into how cultural factors outline the expression and awareness of mental illness, mainly among adolescents. Examining the factors of how ideas like families, stigma, and marginal status can interconnect to influence depression in adolescents has given me a much richer indebtedness of the need to approach mental healthcare from a culturally proficient standpoint.
As a future healthcare expert, this project has armored my pledge to uphold diversity and inclusivity in public health and community-based care. I know that one-size-fits-all tactics for mental health involvements are often ineffectual and that tailoring services to meet the distinctive needs of diverse cultural groups is indispensable. By persistently educating myself about different cultural frameworks, cooperating with community investors, and adapting evidence-based practices to be culturally applicable, I aim at ensuring that all adolescents, irrespective of their context, have impartial access to high-quality, culturally responsive mental healthcare services. Implementing diversity and developing inclusive practices will be a fundamental principle of my nursing practice as I endeavor to address the multifaceted mental health challenges facing adolescents in our communities.
Miller, L., & Campo, J. V. (2021). Depression in adolescents. New England Journal of Medicine, 385(5), 445-449. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra2033475
Beirão, D., Monte, H., Amaral, M., Longras, A., Matos, C., & Villas-Boas, F. (2020). Depression in adolescence: a review. Middle East Current Psychiatry, 27(1), 50. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s43045-020-00050-z (THAPAR)
Reangsing, C., Punsuwun, S., & Schneider, J. K. (2021). Effects of mindfulness interventions on depressive symptoms in adolescents: A meta-analysis. International journal of nursing studies, 115, 103848. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020748920303394
Ai, A. L., Appel, H. B., Lee, J., & Fincham, F. (2022). Family factors are related to three major mental health issues among Asian Americans nationwide. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 49(1), 4-21. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11414-021-09760-6