14 DAY TRIAL // The conclusions of a new scientific study appear to indicate a higher incidence of depression and associated symptoms in teenagers who listen to music for longer than they spend reading a book.
This is one of the most interesting researches on the issue ever conducted, analysts say, because it quantifies the effect that this type of media exposure has on adolescents nearly in real-time.
Such a feat was made possible by the use of an advanced study technique called ecological momentary assessment, which enables researchers to keep a close eye on the subjects they are monitoring.
The study was conducted exclusively for determining which of the two habits is more likely to allow teens to become depressed. At the end of the survey, it became clear that music was the “winner” in this competition, and that adolescents who read for longer than they listened to music were more stable.
Analyzing the correlation between exposure to different types of media and the emotional health of teens is one of the most pursued areas of research in science right now. As such, studies detailing various aspects of this interaction are appearing several times per month.
The new research was conducted by experts with the School of Medicine and the School of the Health Sciences, both of which are based at the University of Pittsburgh. About 106 teens were analyzed during the survey.
Scientists behind the work say that about 46 of the adolescents were determined to suffer from major depressive symptoms during the investigation. The participants were analyzed for a total of two months, during which time researchers called them roughly 60 times.
On each phone call, the team members would ask the teens to report the type of media they were using, out of six possible answers – books, Internet, video games, movies, music, and magazines or newspapers.
Statistical analysis of the collected data revealed that teens who listened to most music were 8.3 percent more likely to be depressed than those who listened only in passing or not at all. None of the other types of media exposure was associated with developing symptoms associated with depression.
“At this point, it is not clear whether depressed people begin to listen to more music to escape, or whether listening to large amounts of music can lead to depression, or both,” explains the leader of the new study, Brian Primack, MD, EdM, MS.
The expert holds an appointment as an assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics at the Pitt School of Medicine. “Either way, these findings may help clinicians and parents recognize links between media and depression,” he goes on to say.
“It also is important that reading was associated with less likelihood of depression. This is worth emphasizing because overall in the US, reading books is decreasing, while nearly all other forms of media use are increasing,” he concludes.
Details of the new work appeared in the latest issue of the esteemed medical journal Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, PsychCentral reports.