How Do Depression Symptoms Affect Teenagers' Views of Their Future Selves?

What you need to know

• Depression symptoms can influence how teenagers imagine their future selves
• Both depressed and non-depressed teens share similar core aspirations about careers and relationships
• Teens with higher depression levels are just as likely to envision having a job as those with lower symptoms
• The way teens think about happiness in their future varies based on their depression levels

Understanding How Teens See Their Future

When you ask a teenager “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, their answer can tell you a lot about their mental health and wellbeing. This fascinating research explores how depression affects the way teenagers envision their future selves - their hopes, dreams, and expectations for who they might become.

Common Dreams Across All Groups

Interestingly, regardless of depression levels, teenagers share many common aspirations. Having a job ranks as a top priority across all groups, with 35% of teens with high depression symptoms, 41% of those with low symptoms, and 28% of those with moderate symptoms mentioning career-related goals. This suggests that even when struggling with depression, teenagers maintain core aspirations about their professional futures.

The Impact of Depression on Future Thinking

Where differences emerge is in how teens think about happiness and personal fulfillment. Among teens with elevated depression symptoms, 29% specifically mentioned “being happy” as a future goal, compared to 28% of those with low symptoms. This similar percentage might seem surprising, but it could indicate that depressed teens recognize happiness as something they want to achieve in their future.

Life Goals and Personal Aspirations

The study reveals interesting patterns in how teens think about major life milestones. Having a family appears as a consistent theme across all groups (22% for both high and low symptom groups). However, specific aspects like having a house, getting married, or having children show some variation between groups. This suggests that while core life goals remain similar, depression might influence how teens prioritize or think about these milestones.

What This Means for You

If you’re a parent, teacher, or mental health professional working with teenagers, these findings offer valuable insights:

• Don’t assume that depressed teens have given up on their futures - they often maintain similar aspirations to their peers
• Support teens in developing concrete plans to achieve their goals, as this can provide hope and direction
• Acknowledge that while depression might affect how teens think about their future, it doesn’t necessarily eliminate their ability to envision positive outcomes
• Consider using discussions about future goals as a way to engage with teens about their current mental health

Conclusions

• Teenagers maintain core aspirations about their future regardless of depression levels
• Career and relationship goals remain important across all groups
• Supporting teens in developing and pursuing their future goals could be valuable for mental health intervention
• Understanding how depression affects future thinking can help in providing better support for adolescents