An Investigation of Depression and Sexual Activities in the Adolescent Population

Abstract

To identify if a relationship exists between depression risk and sexual activity, early sexual debut, or number of sexual partners in adolescents. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death of individuals between the ages 10 to 24 years. Research has demonstrated that participation in risky behaviors increase the likelihood of reporting depressed mood. Identifying risk factors for depression will help identify at-risks individuals and provide early intervention to reduce the risk of suicide. Survey data were collected from 200 randomly selected participants, ages 14-17 years, in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS). Statistical analysis was performed by using Pearson's r correlation to identify possible relationships between depression and sexual activity, early sexual debut, or number of sexual partners. Significant values were found for all statistical tests. The analysis of the results demonstrates a strong relationship between depression and sexual activity. Adolescents who were sexually active, less than 15 years of age, or had more than 4 partners were more likely to report symptoms of depression. These results support that screening for suicide should include both depression and sexual activity assessments to assist in identification of at-risk teens.