The following is a news story from Hafal’s Big Lottery-funded Young People’s Information Hub. To access the Hub please visit: http://www.hafal.org/hafal/yp_index.php
Research by Cardiff University has highlighted the health problems teenagers who do not receive early treatment for symptoms of depression may face in their later lives.
Anita Thapar, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Cardiff University, says untreated teenage depression increases the risk of suicide, substance abuse and obesity; that it may lead to serious social and educational problems and can result in lifelong health problems.
She said: “Everyone tends to think teenagers are just moody or stressed but that is not the same as depression -there needs to be greater public awareness of this.
“The children I have seen have been the most severe – it’s such a shame that they have to come to me earlier. We need to be looking at early intervention and prevention in high risk groups.”
To read more about Professor Thapar’s research, which is published in today’s Lancet, please visit: http://tiny.cc/etdlh