Effect of Teenage Depression on Social and Academic Functioning
Effect of Teenage Depression on Social and Academic Functioning
Contents
Intentions and Positionality. 5
Significance of the Research. 7
Abstract
Teenage depression has started to become a serious problem around the world. The impact of this condition can be felt across the globe from shooting attacks in school to committing suicide. While teenagers are an essential part of society, for a long time, most communities have not been paying attention to this problem. Teenage depression can negatively affect the academic performance of a teenager and his or her social function. With the increasing importance of this subject, this research proposal sought to find the effect of teenage depression on academic performance and social function. The research will be guided by three research questions, which include; what is the extent to which teenage depression affects the social functioning of a teenager? What is the extent to which teenage depression affects the academic performance of a teenager? And what is the relationship between academic achievement and psychosocial adjustment of a teenager? The research will use both qualitative and quantitive research methodology.
Keywords: Teenage, Depression, Academic, Performance, Social, and Function
Introduction
Tsuno et al. (2005) defines depression as a serious and common medical condition that affects how one feels, thinks, and acts. Depression is treatable. However, it causes one to feel so sad and lose interest in thing s that one once enjoyed. Depression can result in various physical and emotional problems that will decrease the ability of a person to function either at the workplace, home, or school. According to Lisa et al. (2009), there has been a growing recognition of how depression is impacting teens. In the US alone, 15 to 20% of the youth suffer from depression before they attain the age of 18 years. Different countries are debating on ways and means that can be used to combat teenage depression.
Teenage depression has more enormous consequences not only on the individual but also the society at large. The study will seek to examine the effect of adolescent depression on the social function and academic performance of teenagers. Symptoms of depression may include; low self-esteem, inability to concentrate, sense of worthlessness, psychomotor retardation, poor initiative, and social withdrawal. It is becoming more evident that there is a connection between depression and academic performance. It therefore calls for an understanding of how depression affects educational achievement and the social function of teenagers through both qualitative and quantitative approaches (Hysenbegasi et al., 2005).
Statement of the Problem
Teenagers are an essential part of society. They are the people who will ensure the continuation of our community. Also, the nation has witnessed several shootings in schools from teenagers who have been suffering silently. The government has tried to intervene using various measures, such as having armed guards, among other means. However, it is essential to address the root cause of the problem because, as a society, we are losing a significant part of the community (DeRoma et al., 2009). Studies have been made on depression, and most of these studies have had limited scope. These studies have mainly focused on medical and scientific discipline. These studies have left a gap that needs to be researched. The gap is what informs this research on the effect of teenage depression on their social function and academic performance.
Research Question
The following research question guided the study
- What is the extent to which teenage depression affects the social functioning of a teenager?
- What is the extent to which teenage depression affects the academic performance of a teenager?
- What is the relationship between academic performance and psychosocial adjustment of a teenager?
Intentions and Positionality
The research intends to use a consultancy approach for the research positionality. The researcher intends to understand how depression affects the social life of teenagers. The researcher will highlight the prevalence of depression among youths and the causes of depression. Finally, the researcher will give recommendations based on the findings of the research.
Research Terms
Depression: Depression is a severe medical condition where one feels very sad and loses interest in things that he or she usually enjoys. The situation can have physical and mental effects that affect individual social life, work, and academics. Depression is, however, treatable (Jaycox et al., 2009).
Social Function: Refers to a particular set of activities and behavior that an individual will display in social status (Jaycox et al., 2009).
Academic performance: Refers to the extent to which a student or educational institution has attained an academic goal, in a society that is continuously changing. Education is an essential aspect of society that is changing lives (Jaycox et al., 2009).
Research Methods
The research proposal will utilize both qualitative and quantitative research instruments that will be used in collecting data from the respondents. The research will meet the triangulation requirements to collect rich and detailed data. Measuring the symptoms of depression and its impact on academic performance and social function cannot be measured using a one-dimensional frame. Therefore, the research will use both qualitative and quantitative approaches (Mihăilescu et al., 2016).
Research Design
The research will use a cross-sectional survey research design to collect data about teenagers’ enrolment from the field. The research design will treat teenage depression as the independent variable, while the dependent variable will be social function and academic performance. The research will utilize qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data is important for the study because it allows the researcher to go beyond quantitative data (Mayer, 2015).
Significance of the Research
The findings of this study will assist the federal and state government in developing and initiating policies and programs that will assist teenagers in their youthful and ensure that they can cope up with challenges and complete their education. The finding will also help school administrations and parents to address the challenges that these teenagers face so that they can live a life without depression. The research will assist both parents, guardians, and schools in recognizing the importance of a counselor and therefore ensuring that they can make these services available for the teenagers to combat teenage depression.
References
DeRoma, V.M., Leach, J.B. and Leverett, J.P., 2009. The relationship between depression and college academic performance. College Student Journal, 43(2), pp.325-335.
Hysenbegasi, A., Hass, S.L. and Rowland, C.R., 2005. The impact of depression on the academic productivity of university students. Journal of mental health policy and economics, 8(3), p.145.
Jaycox, L.H., Stein, B.D., Paddock, S., Miles, J.N., Chandra, A., Meredith, L.S., Tanielian, T., Hickey, S. and Burnam, M.A., 2009. Impact of teen depression on academic, social, and physical functioning. Pediatrics, 124(4), pp.e596-e605.
Lisa, H. J., Bradley, D. S., Susan, P., Jeremy, N. V., Anita C., Lisa, S. M., Terri, T., Scot, H., and Audrey, M., 2009. Burnam Pediatrics October, 124 (4) e596-e605; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2008-3348
Mayer, I., 2015. Qualitative research with a focus on qualitative data analysis. International Journal of Sales, Retailing & Marketing, 4(9), pp.53-67.
Mihăilescu, A.I., Diaconescu, L.V., Ciobanu, A.M., Donisan, T. and Mihailescu, C., 2016. The impact of anxiety and depression on academic performance in undergraduate medical students. European Psychiatry, 33(S1), pp.s284-s284.
Tsuno, N., Besset, A. and Ritchie, K., 2005. Sleep and depression. The Journal of clinical psychiatry
