Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States. Without timely treatment, this condition can have a devastating effect on an individual, impairing his or her abilities to carry out their usual life activities. The latest statistics showed that depression does not discriminate against age. National Institute of Mental Health reported that the prevalence of depression among adolescents (12-17 years old) almost equaled that among adults (18 and older) (National Institute of Mental Health, 2019). As of 2019, 13.3%, or 3.2 millions of teenagers have suffered from at least one major depressive episode in their life (National Institute of Mental Health, 2019). It is imperative that this issue is addressed, which might be possible through action research.
The primary goal of action research is to draw practical knowledge. Instead of dwelling on concepts and theories, action researchers gauge the impact that they can have on a milieu that they are familiar with (Holly, 2013). In a process that is both action- and reflection-based, health practitioners make an effort to gain control over a situation that is raising concerns. In action research, the key data collection strategies are interviews and observation. As for the subject matter of this paper, the objective of a possible study could be to determine the efficiency of physical activity in treating depression in adolescents. As of now, there is clinical and neurobiological evidence that regular exercise presents certain benefits for mental health. Hallgren et al. (2015) have found an association between doing sports and improvements in depressive symptoms.
In daily practice, a health worker could be recommending patients that display signs of depression to work out on par with visiting a therapist and taking medication. At that, he or she should try to be empathetic with a depressed person, who is probably experiencing fatigue. Yet, mentioning evidence-based advantages and highlighting the positive impact on self-esteem and self-image could motivate a patient to make a healthy choice.
References
Hallgren, M., Kraepelien, M., Lindefors, N., Zeebari, Z., Kaldo, V., & Forsell, Y. (2015). Physical exercise and internet-based cognitive-behavioural therapy in the treatment of depression: Randomised controlled trial. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 207(3), 227-234.
Holly, C. (2013). Scholarly inquiry and the DNP capstone. Springer Publishing Company.
National Institute of Mental Health. (2019). Major depression. Web.