年轻人的自杀率正在上升——为什么呢?
年轻人的自杀率正在上升——为什么呢?
In a disturbing new trend, research shows the rate of suicide is increasing among young people.
一个令人不安的新趋势是，研究表明年轻人的自杀率正在上升。
Males generally commit suicide at higher rates, but the rates for young females are increasing, too. (Photo: Csaba Peterdi/Shutterstock)
Between 2007-2015, the number of U.S. teens who visited emergency rooms due to suicidal thoughts or ideations doubled, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics. In 2007, the number of visits was 580,000; by 2015, that number had increased to 1.12 million, reports CNN.
《美国医学会杂志·儿科》(JAMA Pediatrics)上发表的一项研究显示，在2007年至2015年间，因有自杀念头或倾向而前往急诊室的美国青少年数量翻了一番。2007年，参观人数为58万人次;据CNN报道，到2015年，这一数字已增至112万。
Finding a solution is no easy task. The fact that so many young people — regardless of gender — fight with depression every day and struggle with suicidal thoughts is devastating. But new research may give us insight into the differences between the development of depression in adolescent females and males, reports Psychology Today.
找到解决方案并非易事。如此之多的年轻人——无论性别——每天都在与抑郁作斗争，与自杀念头作斗争，这一事实是毁灭性的。但据《今日心理学》报道，新的研究可能会让我们深入了解青少年女性和男性抑郁症发展的差异。
How depression develops in boys and girls
男孩和女孩的抑郁症是如何发展的
Females tend to develop depression much faster and earlier than males. (Photo: Manfred Antranias Zimmer/Pixabay)
Using growth-curve modeling, researchers found that the developmental paths of depression for boys and girls differed significantly. Females tended to develop depression at a faster rate, while also hitting peak levels of depressive symptoms at an earlier age.
使用生长曲线模型，研究人员发现男孩和女孩的抑郁发展路径明显不同。女性患抑郁症的速度更快，而且在更早的年龄就达到抑郁症状的高峰。
For males, the most rapid rate increase of depressive symptoms occurred at age 16.4, while females' biggest increase came at 13.5 years — meaning that by the time a depressed adolescent female reaches that age, she has developed more depressive symptoms than an adolescent male.
对于男性来说，抑郁症状的增长速度最快的是16.4岁，而女性的增长速度最快的是13.5岁——这意味着当抑郁的青春期女性达到这个年龄时，她比青春期男性出现更多的抑郁症状。
Why the difference?
为什么会有这样的差异呢?
The developmental paths of depression for boys and girls differed significantly. (Photo: talib abdulla/Pixabay)
There's no definitive answer for differences in the developmental course of depressive symptoms, but Arash Emamzadeh, author of the Psychology Today article, suggests that a general increase in symptoms during adolescence is possibly "because teenagers face numerous changes during this developmental period (e.g., puberty, school transition, forming friendships)."
抑郁症状在发展过程中的不同并没有明确的答案，但是《今日心理学》的作者Arash Emamzadeh认为，青春期症状的普遍增加可能是因为“青少年在这个发展时期面临着许多变化(例如，青春期、学校过渡、形成友谊)。”
As for females experiencing symptoms at an earlier age, Emamzadeh writes, "One possible explanation for this difference is the earlier puberty in females compared to males. For instance, previous research has shown that early age of menarche (first menstrual cycle) is associated with greater depressive symptoms."
至于女性在更早出现症状，Emamzadeh写道，“一个可能的解释是，女性比男性更早进入青春期。例如，之前的研究表明，初潮(第一次月经周期)越早，抑郁症状越严重。”
Puberty is already a rough stage of adolescence, and the fact that females and males hit puberty at different ages could also play a role. This growing body of research could help us understand why and when adolescents are beginning to show depressive symptoms, and address their needs at an earlier stage.
青春期已经是一个艰难的青春期，女性和男性在不同的年龄进入青春期这一事实也可能起作用。越来越多的研究可以帮助我们理解为什么以及何时青少年开始出现抑郁症状，并在早期阶段解决他们的需求。
