Page 39 - JCBP-3-4

Journal of Clinical and
Basic Psychosomatics Preventing teen depression and anxiety

First, treatment-resistant depression is a condition countries receive no treatment. The cost of traditional
52
in which depression symptoms persist or worsen despite talk therapy makes it neither sustainable nor scalable in the
receiving antidepressant treatments. The prevalence face of the rising prevalence of mental health issues, which
44
of treatment-resistant depression is high, and the risk of quickly become uncontrollable.
recurrence is also elevated. Stigmatization associated with mental health issues
Second, conventional antidepressants can raise also prevents people in need from seeking help. It is a
serotonin levels, but their positive effects take weeks to cultural phenomenon that spans across different societies.
appear. This delay is a significant clinical challenge, as the A study among 650 students aged 16 – 24 years conducted
delayed effect implies persistent depressive symptoms. 45 in Jordan revealed a significant negative correlation
between depression stigma and depression. In East
53
Third, there are no validated biomarkers. Psychiatrists
46
had to rely on symptom-based rating scales to draw Asian countries, where expressing emotions is often
discouraged, depression and anxiety are often masked
54
diagnostic conclusions, leading to frequent misdiagnosis, by somatic manifestations, leading to under-diagnosis and
47
with under-detection occurring more frequently than false- lack of treatment. Thus, there is an urgent need to increase
positive diagnosis, further delaying timely interventions. mental health literacy through family- and school-based
In addition, a trend of over-medicalization cannot education programs and to reduce public stigmatization to
be ignored. It oversimplifies the complexity of mental improve help-seeking attitudes and behaviors.
disorders, which manifest medically but are caused by
broader societal, cultural, and environmental determinants. 4. Moving forward – prevent the
Therefore, treating the diagnosed with antidepressants preventable
only helps mitigate the downstream outflow, but it does not The key strategy for effectively addressing the crisis is to
address the upstream influx of new cases into the epidemic prioritize modifiable factors over non-modifiable ones. By
pool. Medicalization, when viewed solely through a focusing strategically on factors that can be influenced or
treatment lens, may overlook the importance of preventive modified, the potential to drive meaningful improvements
measures. More focus should be directed to identifying can be maximized. Below are three key modifiable factors
the underlying root causes and depression-inducing that are instrumental in preventing the disease.
factors in society, shifting the emphasis from treatment to
prevention. 4.1. Lifestyle modifications
3.2. The current psychological approach Lifestyle changes should be supported by community
initiatives and integrated with technology to cultivate
There are many theoretical frameworks and orientations mental health habits among adolescents. Adopting
in psychology, each one trying to explain the etiology healthier behaviors that align with evolutionary adaptivity
and persistence of depression and anxiety. Some helps bridge the gap between modern lifestyles and
theories that have been the basis for the development of ancestral genetic makeup.
psychotherapies include cognitive behavior therapy and
48
interpersonal therapy; both are recommended by the Given that depression, anxiety, and “diabesity” (diabetes
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 49 and obesity) are all associated with evolutionary mismatch
– potentially driven by modern lifestyle factors – studying
However, psychological interventions must also take “diabesity” could offer valuable insights. According to a
into account social and cultural factors that can undermine study by Kerin O’Dea, ten diabetic Australian Aborigines
55
their effectiveness and reach. Barriers such as affordability, who switched to a hunter-gatherer lifestyle showed
lack of insurance coverage for mental disorders, and social improvements in all metabolic markers. This experiment
stigmatization significantly compromise the efficiency of demonstrated that lifestyle changes could reverse diseases.
psychotherapies. Take the U.S. as an example: 59.8% of Considering that depression and anxiety are partially
youth with major depressive symptoms did not receive caused by contemporary lifestyle factors, lifestyle medicine
any mental health treatment in 2023. When referred to must be prescribed as both therapeutic and preventive
50
psychotherapy in primary care, only 20% would follow up, interventions.
and 50% of them dropped out. 51
Six core elements in lifestyle medicine with the greatest
The high cost of getting psychological treatment hinders impact on mental health include a plant-predominant diet,
people from getting timely help. It is estimated by the regular physical activity, restful sleep, stress management,
World Health Organization that more than 75% of people avoidance of substance use, and maintenance of supportive
experiencing mental disorders in low- and middle-income relationships. 56,57 Among these, physical activities have

Volume 3 Issue 4 (2025) 33 doi: 10.36922/jcbp.8077