Apr 07

Depression among teens may be partly caused by listening to music, a recent study suggests.

In a study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, adolescents who listen to a considerable amount of music were shown to be at higher risk of developing major depressive disorder. Those who prefer to read, on the other hand, have a much lower risk.

The researchers surveyed 106 adolescents, of whom 46 were suffering from major depressive disorder. In a method dubbed “real life,” they called the subjects regularly over a five-weekend period to ask what types of media they were tuning in to, whether TV, music, books, or the Internet. Some subjects were called as much as 60 times.

 

Teenagers who listened to the most music were 8.3 times more prone to depression than those who consumed it the least, and 10 times more at risk than those who read books more than any other media.

It’s not clear whether the music itself contributes to the depression, or if depression makes youngsters seek refuge in music. Lead researcher Dr. Brian Primack says that parents shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that music is bad, as kids could simply be finding comfort in it. Music often carries emotional themes that give depressed teens a form of catharsis, he says. Indeed, the next step of the study will be to look into these themes and see if specific types of music have an effect on depression levels.

It could also be that depressed …

written by madamejune

Apr 12
NEED AND CONTEXT It has been observed that the recent economic growth in the Asian cities indicate that there has been a breakdown of traditional support systems such as the family because of rapid urbanization and modernization. Moreover, a large number of people are living below the poverty line in impoverished environment in urban and rural communities. Their acute needs for housing, food, health, education, and incomes are the very forces that push adolescents to look for a means of livelihood on the streets, engage in prostitution, be hooked up with crime/drug syndicates, or become victims of sexual and physical abuse. It is a battle of bare struggle for daily survival and contributes in every ways they can. Any measure to penalize parents of such children will only result in further abuse and oppression of people who are already disadvantaged. Such children struggle hard in getting the most essential requirements to meet the basic needs of life and such children need special attention and educational intervention. These disadvantaged adolescents are generally malnourished and often anemic; many of them physically stunted, suffer psychologically from undue family pressures and abuses and are neglected at home. They tend to develop low self-esteem from broken families, single-headed households because of the death, separation, or labor migration of one of their parents. Moreover, they live in slums and squatter communities, sub-human conditions and are susceptible to crime syndicates and gang conflicts, substance/drug abuse, and gambling. In the developing and under developed countries like India and …

written by The Scientist