Poor, Black Teens Show Depression Differently, Rutgers Study Finds
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A nationwide study on depression by a local professor shows a difference in how the condition is vocalized in different ethnic groups.
The study focuses on 800 black teens and young adults from fiscally poor communities in New York , St. Louis, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. It shows black teens are more likely to show their depression in a physical discomfort, like being tired, instead of saying they feel sad. It's something the study says is commonly done by white adult males who suffer from depression.
"That terminology used in the black adolescence my be used to express their depression."
Dr. Wenhua Lu, an assistant professor in the Department of Childhood Studies at Rutgers-Camden, conducted the research. She says there are some key things that black parents should pay attention to with their children that may be warning signs of elevated depression.
"If their kids say something like I don't sleep well or I have some bad news," Lu explained, "or something like I had some interpersonal struggles."