Boys feel worse than girls, and their depression can last for years to come.
Just about everyone suffers from a tinge of the blues now and then. Full on depression is a different matter, however. According to the Mayo Clinic, depression is a mood disorder. It can occur just once, or in episodes, and it can leave you feeling like life isn’t worth living. Depression can make day-to-day activities difficult to accomplish and clear thoughts a challenge to muster. What causes it? Some things are for certain. It is well-known that certain life-circumstances, such as persistent poverty, or loss of a loved one, can trigger depression in some people. Sometimes the cause of depression is a bit less obvious, however. A new study shows that being obese can also be a contributing factor, particularly when it comes to boys.
Who Was Analyzed
So, before we go any further, let’s first point out the study was done in Scandinavia. Of course, the way boys react to being obese in nordic countries could differ from other places around the world. That being said, there could also be some similarities. So, in our humble opinion, the work is worth looking at.
Researchers from Uppsala University, in Sweden, conducted the study. They looked at a variety of things related to adolescents. Researchers gathered information about the participants’ BMI, and the presence of any depressive symptoms in all participants. And this is what was found.
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“When we analysed girls and boys separately, we saw that for boys with obesity in 2012” said Sofia Kanders. Kanders is a PhD student at Uppsala University’s Department of Neuroscience, “the risk for having depressive symptoms in 2015 was, statistically, five times higher than for normal-weight boys. In the girls we found no such connection,”
Why was there such a difference? No one really knows, but some clues were present.
The Role of Bullying in Youth Depression
The researchers also looked at who in their study was bullied. Guess what? Somewhat unsurprisingly, being bullied led to feeling depressed. All those who were bullied and obese had a higher chance of suffering from depression many years down the road. Overweight boys were especially susceptible to the connection.
“One key conclusion and take-home message from our study is that bullying can affect mental illness for a long time to come, which therefore makes preventive measures against bullying in schools extremely important,” Kanders commented.
What You Can Do
If your child is being bullied at school or in the community, obviously it is worth taking action. Speak with their teachers, or the other child’s parents. Being open and considerate about the issue is important. As is well known, bullying doesn’t often go away overnight, (although sometimes it can). If the bullying is persistent, consider making request. Ask for a change of class, or actively change schools. Good mental health is important. Making your child tolerate abuse day in, day out sends the message that bad things can happen and that they don’t necessarily end. Talk with a mental health professional. Do what is best for your child and your family.
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