Depression tied to risky teen sex

Sexually experienced middle- and high-school teenagers with higher levels of depressive symptoms are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior, a new study shows.

"The study findings underscore that it is important for parents to be familiar with signs of depression among adolescent boys and girls," Dr. Jocelyn A. Lehrer of the University of California, San Francisco, the study's lead author, told Reuters. "In addition to providing strong and consistent emotional support to their teens, it is important for parents to encourage and actively support their teens in seeking mental health care when needed."

As many as 20 percent of adolescents may experience major depression, Lehrer and her team note in the July issue of the medical journal Pediatrics. Half of new cases of sexually transmitted infections occur in adolescents; teens also face a disproportionate risk of contracting HIV.

To investigate whether symptoms of depression might be linked to sexual risk taking, Lehrer and her colleagues analyzed results of a large national study of adolescent health that included 4,152 boys and girls who were interviewed at home in 1995 and once again a year later. Interviewers assessed study participants' levels of depressive symptoms using a 19-item questionnaire.

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