Teens Involved in Relationships Feel More Depressed and Drink More Than Their Single Peers

A new study from the University of Denver revealed that teenagers who are romantically involved are more likely to experience psychological problems such as depression and alcohol abuse than their single peers, Daily Mail reported.

Researchers discovered that teens who are in a relationship tend to have more mental issues than both their friends who are single or who are older and also in a relationship.

During the study, researchers asked participants to fill a questionnaire about their relationships. They were asked to report any negative feelings like anxiety, depression and social withdrawal. Researcher also collected data on their drug and alcohol use as well as their level of satisfaction with their relationships. In addition to all those, researchers looked into the support mechanisms in relationships namely companionship, encouraging and supporting each other when needed.

Charlene Collibee, who is the lead author of the study, said: "We found relationships that were more supportive and satisfying, and those that had fewer negative interactions were associated with better psychosocial adjustment, above and beyond the effects of simply being in a relationship." Co-author of the study, Professor Wyndol Furman, noted that it was not just about having a relationship or not, but the quality of the relationship. "Our findings highlight the importance of romantic characteristics across development and tell us we should be concerned not just with whether an adolescent or young adult has a romantic relationship but also with the quality of that relationship," he said, according to the Daily Mail.

According to Furman the extent of the study's findings are greater than they may seem at first. He continued: "They also suggest promoting high-quality romantic relationship in adolescence- and especially young adulthood-may foster more positive psychosocial development." He said that it is a good idea to encourage teenagers to assess their relationships and be inquisitive about whether it is helping them or hurting them since a relationship has a great impact on their mental well-being.

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