研究表明，不约会的高中生比约会的高中生更少抑郁

研究表明，不约会的高中生比约会的高中生更少抑郁

Dating is a normal part of adolescence -- and a formative one at that. Decades of research have suggested a link between romantic relationships and identity development as teenagers mature into young adults.

约会是青春期的正常组成部分，也是形成青春期的一个重要因素。数十年的研究表明，随着青少年成长为年轻人，恋爱关系和身份发展之间存在联系。

But a recent study published in the Journal of School Health reveals that adolescents who choose not to date fare as well as, or better than, their coupled counterparts in social and leadership skills.

但最近发表在《校园健康杂志》上的一项研究显示，在社交和领导能力方面，选择不约会的青少年与那些已经结婚的同龄人表现一样好，或优于他们。

They're also less depressed.

他们也不那么抑郁。

"We know that romantic relationships are very common among adolescents -- in fact, a majority have been involved in some type of romantic activity by 15 to 17 years of age," says Brooke Douglas, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia who conducted the study with Dr. Pamela Orpinas.

“我们知道，恋爱关系在青少年中非常普遍——事实上，大多数人在15至17岁时就经历过某种类型的恋爱活动，”佐治亚大学博士候选人布鲁克道格拉斯说，他与帕梅拉奥皮娜博士一起进行了这项研究。

"It's also known that romantic relationships are important for teenagers' individual development and wellbeing. So that made us ask: What does this say about teenagers who are not dating? Are they social misfits?"

“众所周知，恋爱关系对青少年的个人发展和幸福感很重要。这让我们不禁要问:对于没有约会的青少年来说，这说明了什么?他们与社会格格不入吗?”

It turns out, they're not

事实证明，并不是这样

Through a combination of student surveys and teacher feedback, data was gathered on the dating habits of sixth through 12th-graders, along with key emotional and behavioral information.

通过学生调查和教师反馈相结合，收集了从六年级到十二年级学生的约会习惯的数据，以及关键的情感和行为信息。

The data was originally published in a 2013 study conducted by Orpinsas, which revealed a number of dating patterns among the students -- some dated more frequently with age, others took breaks from relationships at various times.

这些数据最初是由奥皮纳斯在2013年进行的一项研究中公布的，该研究揭示了学生的一些约会模式——一些人随着年龄的增长约会更频繁，还有一些在不同的时间断绝了恋情。

But Douglas was most interested in the "low" dating group comprised of students who dated, on average, once throughout middle and high school, with some reporting no romantic relationships at all.

但道格拉斯最感兴趣的是“低”约会群体，这一群体的学生在整个初中和高中平均有过一次约会，其中一些人表示根本没有恋爱关系。

To follow the 2013 study, Douglas and Orpinas compared the social and emotional data of 10th graders and found that a lack of romantic relationships had not hindered the development of the "low" daters.

为了跟踪2013年的研究，道格拉斯和奥皮纳斯比较了十年级学生的社会和情感数据，发现缺乏恋爱关系并没有阻碍“低”约会者的发展。

On the contrary, based on the teacher feedback, the students in this group were overall rated higher in social and leadership skills, and lower in depression than those in other dating groups.

相反，根据老师的反馈，这个（没有约会）小组的学生在社交和领导能力方面的总体得分比其他约会的小组的学生要高，抑郁程度也更低。

One thing to note

需要注意一件事

As Douglas points out, the teacher surveys were a crucial aspect of the study, as self-reported surveys can lead to a response bias from participants. Especially when probing sensitive issues -- like depression and suicide -- that students might not feel comfortable reporting, "teachers are the best people to give information."

道格拉斯指出，教师调查是这项研究的一个重要方面，因为自我报告的调查可能导致参与者有反应偏差。尤其是在调查学生可能不愿意告知的敏感问题时——比如抑郁症和自杀，“老师是提供者这些信息的最佳人选。”

Other limitations of the study include that all the participants were from a single region in Georgia and had limited racial diversity. While almost half of the students were white, just over 1% were Asian.

该研究的其他局限性包括，所有参与者都来自格鲁吉亚的一个地区，限制了种族多样性。将近一半的学生是白人，只有1%多一点的学生是亚洲人。

Nonetheless, the results stand counter to the notion that to be a well-adjusted and socially competent adolescent, you must experience a romantic relationship. Students who don't date are doing just fine. "They don't lack general social competence, they have friends, just like teenagers who are dating," says Douglas.

尽管如此，研究结果与“想要成为一个适应能力强、社交能力强的青少年，就必须经历一段恋爱关系”的观点背道而驰。不约会的学生表现很好。“他们并不缺乏一般的社交能力，像正在约会的青少年一样，他们有朋友，”道格拉斯说。

She emphasizes, however, that the study should not be interpreted as a suggestion that teens should not date. Remaining single is simply one choice that adolescents can make -- and it doesn't make them abnormal or socially stunted.

然而，她强调，这项研究不应该被解释为建议青少年不应该约会。保持单身只是青少年可以做的一种选择，这并不会让他们变得不正常或有社交障碍。