美國：200萬青少年受嚴重抑鬱困擾

More than 2 million US teenagers have suffered a serious bout of depression in the past year, according to a federal government survey released on Tuesday.

On average, 8.5 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 described having had a major depressive episode in the previous year, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported.

But there were "striking differences" by sex, with 12.7 percent of girls and 4.6 percent of boys affected.

Depression is the leading cause of suicide, which in turn is the third-leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds in the United States.

"Combined 2004 to 2006 data show that rates of past year major depressive episode among youths aged 12 to 17 generally increased with increasing age," the researchers wrote.

Researchers at SAMHSA and RTI International in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, prepared the report using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

More than 67,700 youths aged 12 to 17 answered questions about mood and depression. They were also asked to rate how depression affected them using the Sheehan Disability Scale, which measures impact on family, friends, chores at home, work and school.

Researchersdefined a major depressive episode as two weeks or longer of depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure, and at least four other symptoms such as problems with sleep, energy, concentration or self-image.

Nearly half of the teenagers who had major depression said it severely impaired their ability to function in at least one of the areas on the disability scale.

"Fortunately, depression responds very well to early intervention and treatment," SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline said in a statement.

本週二公佈的一項美國聯邦政府調查顯示，美國超過200萬的青少年在過去一年中受到過嚴重抑鬱的困擾。

據藥物濫用及心理健康服務管理委員會（SAMHS）報告，平均來看，在美國12歲至17歲的青少年中，有8.5%的人在過去一年中經受了嚴重抑鬱的困擾。

但這其中存在明顯的性別差異，分別有12.7%的女孩和4.6%的男孩出現過這種狀況。

在美國，抑鬱症是導致自殺的首要原因，並且是15歲至24歲青少年的第三大死因。

研究人員在報告中寫道：“結合2004年至2006年的數據，12歲至17歲的青少年過去一年出現嚴重抑鬱症狀的比率總體上隨着年齡的增長而上升。”

SAMHS和北卡三角科技園RTI國際公司的研究人員們主要根據全美藥物使用和健康調查的數據編撰了該報告。

該調查針對情緒和抑鬱等問題對超過6.77萬12歲至17歲的青少年進行了訪問。研究人員還讓他們根據“席漢殘疾量表”對抑鬱症給自己造成的影響進行評分。“席漢殘疾量表”主要衡量的是抑鬱對個人處理親友關係的能力以及在家庭、工作和學校中的表現所造成的影響。

研究人員所定義的嚴重抑鬱症的表現爲：在兩週或更長的時間內情緒低落、對事物失去興趣、不快樂；同時至少出現四種其它症狀，如睡眠質量不佳、精力不足、注意力不易集中和自信心下降等。

在出現過嚴重抑鬱症狀的青少年中，近一半的人稱抑鬱嚴重影響了他們在上述至少一個領域的表現。

SAMHS的主任特里•科萊恩在一份聲明中說：“慶幸的是，早期干預和治療對控制抑鬱症十分有效。”