Today’s young people,especially girls, face a marked increased risk of depression. Doctors suggest many reasons, some proven, some purely speculative. One very interesting investigation of girls showed that having a sexual relationship, either voluntarily or against her will, was a significant factor.
When I read a summary of the article I thought perhaps the authors were mixing the cause and the effect; but after reading the whole article in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine there was little room for doubt. This is an outstanding study of 13,491 seventh through eleventh graders from all over the United States. The authors concluded: “Present findings do not support the theory that youth initiate sex and drug behaviors to ‘self-medicate’ depression,” thus disproving a commonly held theory. They went on to say, “Engaging in sex and drug behavior places adolescents, and especially girls, at risk for future depression.” They explained that sex and drug use act separately, each of them causative factors, and together they greatly increase the risk. They showed further that the risk of depression increases with multiple partners.
This study, if supported by additional investigations, would lead us to think of depression as a sexually transmitted disease. Like other forms of depression, medication, counseling, and psychotherapy are often needed. Early treatment is more likely to be effective.
As we all know, treatment can be effective, but like any other disease prevention is a much better approach. One high school girl told me, “The things churches say we shouldn’t do aren’t good for us anyhow!” And, she was right. The best way to prevent depression and other sexually transmitted disease is to avoid extra-marital sexually activity. Isn’t that what all religions teach?
I don’t want to go on record as saying that all depression is caused by sex, but some no doubt is. Teach your kids right from wrong, show them how to behave, get them involved in religious activities including youth groups, help them control their behavior from early on, eat meals together, have fun as a family, these things are the best assurance that your kids will delay sexual activity for at least as long as they are under your roof, and likely much longer.