Expressive teenagers are better protected against depression: Says a study

A new study report has brought a sort of good news for teenagers. The report states that the teenagers, who can put their negative emotions into expressions, are better protected against depression. Such teenagers are less prone to be depressed.

The lead author of the study Lisa Starr explained, "Adolescents who use more granular terms such as 'I feel annoyed,' or 'I feel frustrated,' or 'I feel ashamed' instead of simply saying 'I feel bad' are better protected against developing increased depressive symptoms after experiencing a stressful life event."

The study also states that teenagers who score low on negative emotion differentiation are generally seen to express their feelings by using general terms such as "bad" or "upset." Using such mild and generic words for expressing even an extreme state of depressed mind works adversely for them as they derive fewer benefits.

Starr also added, "Emotions convey a lot of information. They communicate information about the person's motivational state, level of arousal, emotional valence, and appraisals of the threatening experience."

A person must be capable of delivering information such as he is feeling irritated, angry, embarrassed, or other emotions as then only they will be able to garner the much-needed love, support, and help from others. The more expressive one is the more support and mental assistance he/she gets.

The lead author also said, "It's going to help me predict how my emotional experience will unfold, and how I can best regulate these emotions to make myself feel better."

Previous researches had suggested an adolescent person's NED plunges to its lowest point in comparison to that of younger children. It is during this age that the depression rates climb. It had also added that people who display high negative expression are better at managing their emotional and behavioural consequences.

Hence, it can be seen that it is much better for teens to be expressive than being calm and silent.

Also read: Online Bullying Leads To Depression In Teenagers