Girl's Behavior

Depression And High School Love

Depression And High School Love

Young romance. The topic of many films, books, conversations, and even websites. It's intriguing, wonderful, tumultuous, whirlwind, and alluring. But it can also lead to feelings of self-doubt, vulnerability, and even depression.

Depression? Yes. Seems as though young love and depression go hand in hand.

Being too committed in a young relationship can be unhealthy, says a new psychological study at the University of Maine. Adolescents who take on too much emotional load are prone to depression and anxiety. According to the study, "greater excessive reassurance seeking, co-rumination, and poor romantic relationship quality each uniquely predicted depressive symptoms for young women."

Depression And High School Love

Seeking Reassurance

According to University of Maine Doctoral Research Fellow Jessica Fales, one of the primary behaviors that leads to depression is constant reassurance seeking, such as asking, "Do you really care about me?" This is a common question asked by many young women, and can be a big red flag of insecurity or internal issues. The girls are not alone - young guys wonder the same thing! However, women more often experience negative consequences from these insecurities (i.e., depression).

Asking "Do you really care about me?" can be a sign of insecurity, and can lead to depression.

Negative Feedback Seeking

Unfortunately, negative feedback and depression can be a never-ending cycle - individuals with depressive symptoms actively sought even further negative feedback. Continued negative feedback seeking could place depressed people at risk for further rejection and continuation of depressive symptoms, according to PubMed.gov. Example: seeing your boyfriend check out another girl, and asking, "You she's prettier than me, don't you?" This isn't "psycho," a word thrown around by many frustrated boyfriends. It's an actual behavior that can lead to depression.

Co-rumination

What is co-rumination, you ask? According to Wikipedia, co-rumination refers to "extensively discussing and revisiting problems, speculating about problems, and focusing on negative feelings with peers." While it's good to talk about your problems with your friends, constantly talking about the negative things going on in life (or being a "Debbie Downer") can make things seem even worse.

Young women can change their future if they learn healthy behaviors early on!

While it's hard to be young and in love, Fales believes that if young women are equipped properly, they can avoid falling into sadness or depression.

"These are behaviors and can be changed," she says. "They can more readily be targeted through intervention. For example, because we know that dwelling on negative topics or problems with others can lead to depressive symptoms, we can talk to young people about more active problem solving.”

Developing a positive mental outlook and a healthy sense of pride before getting into adolescent relationships are important. Focusing on the positive and recognizing your own strengths outside of your relationships will help young people experience healthy relationships and friendships.

Depression And High School Love
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