Mental Health, talking, depression

Jess, I am depressed…

By Joshua S. Hill

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Let's not dwell on being all politically correct, it won't be worth our time. Despite recent findings that apparently conclude that men and women talk the same amount, some stereotypes exist for a reason. But the study in question was conducted within the ideal conditions of a university, and therefore are dealing with educated young adults.

Many of you would agree then, that as teenagers, everything is not as even between the sexes. Boys put much less importance on words and direct their energies in to actions such as wedgies, academic performance and kicking a pig's skin as far as possible. Girls on the other hand, while not dismissing academic achievements and bitching, almost go out of their way to adhere to the long-held belief that females talk more than males.

It is this stereotypical behavior that could actually lead to the beginnings of mental health problems.

Amanda Rose, a researcher at the University of Missouri-Columbia, has discovered that after querying 813 school students between grades 3, 5, 7 and 9, the excessive discussions that surround the core of teenage girlhood may lead to depression.

The study, among other facts, discovered that over the 6 month period the study was conducted, girls who 'co-ruminated' (talked excessively) the most in the fall, were the most likely to suffer from depression in the springtime.

Rose believes that this trend is as a result of the continual dwelling on a topic that extended and excessive talking brings about. Instead of ignoring the problem and seeing it disappear behind you -- which is the trademark of male childhood -- girls will strengthen friendships with other girls by trading secrets in various attempts to wade through the problems they encounter.

The study, which also included the male sector of the population, concluded that, not surprisingly, girls dwell on these issues much more than the boys do. And though when boys did 'co-ruminate' they would deepen their friendship, those friendships formed regardless of the talking. For girls, it was the excessive discussion of problems that helped strengthen and deepen their friendships.

So to find that something like adolescent chatter caused both depression and friendships is an intriguing idea, but one that needs to be combated effectively. Though to which point do you combat talking to your friends? How does one go about such a cause in the first place? Maybe this is just one of those studie's that is going to have to be implemented over time, as generations become aware of the problem and pass it on to their children.