Dr. Reef Karim, Prominent Brain Scientist & Transformational Healer

“As we get more technologically advanced, we will see more and more mental health impairment due to overstimulation and digital distraction.” - Dr. Reef Karim

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, July 24, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Depression is becoming increasingly common among American teenagers – especially teen girls, who are almost three times more likely than teen boys to have had recent experiences with depression.

In 2017, 13% of U.S. teens ages 12 to 17 (or 3.2 million) stated they had experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year, up from 8% (or 2 million) in 2007, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of data from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. One-in-five teenage girls had experienced at least one major depressive episode over the past year in 2017. By comparison, 7% of teenage boys had at least one major depressive episode in the past 12 months.

“As we get more and more technologically advanced, we will see more and more mental health impairment due to overstimulation and digital distraction,” explains prominent brain and behavior scientist Dr. Reef Karim, “and it’s not surprising that teens, whose brains are still developing, suffer from increasing depression and anxiety. Teens, for the most part, haven't had the life experience or full brain development to build strong emotional resilience, a form of emotional armor, to protect themselves from the brain overload that comes with a 24-7 communication culture."

Dr. Reef Karim specializes in human potential; his expertise lies in the intersection of neuroscience, transformative healing and contemporary wisdom. (http://reefkarim.com/) Instead of functioning as a typical medication prescriber, Dr. Reef dedicated his life to helping individuals overcome self sabotage and negative conditioning to lead more expansive, innovative and creative lives. He served as an Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience, founded and ran a highly successful personal transformation and recovery treatment center in Beverly Hills and currently conveys important insight, analysis and information to the public in his writing, hosting, speaking and content creation. Reef frequently talks about digital distraction, self exploration, self expression and our dependency on validation and fame. (http://www.fameaddict.com/)

“This study reveals three particularly important findings,” continues Dr. Reef, “teen girls tend to exhibit more anxiety and depression than teen boys (which is consistent with adult women feeling more depressed and anxious than adult men); teen boys were less inclined to go to a four year college than teen girls and teen girls felt much more pressure to “look good” than teen boys.”

The study states that while teenage girls are more likely to have faced depression than their male peers, they are also more likely to have received treatment by seeing a professional or taking medication. Among teen girls who had recent depressive episodes, 45% received treatment for depression over the past year. By comparison, 33% of teen boys with recent depressive episodes received treatment.

The number of adults who had experienced depression also increased from 14.8 million in 2007 to 17.3 million in 2017, though the share remained the same (7%). Adults also differed by gender in their experiences with depression (9% of women vs. 5% of men). Adults who have experienced depression are also treated at higher rates than teens. Among adults who had recent depressive episodes, about two-thirds (67%) received treatment. Again, women who had a recent experience with depression (72%) were more likely than men (58%) to receive treatment.

“Women, generally, are known to be more empathetic, more sensitive to the awareness of feeling states and more connected to the expression of emotions,” elaborates Dr. Reef, “these factors (and others) provide increased vulnerability to depressive and fear based emotional states. Women are also taught and conditioned more than men to watch out for their safety, and monitor for physical and sexual threats in their environment, which could lead to more fear and anxiety.”

Seven-in-ten U.S. teens said anxiety and depression is a major problem among people their age in the community where they live, according to a Pew Research Center survey. An additional 26% cited anxiety and depression as a minor problem. Academic and social pressures are among the reasons cited by experts who have studied teen depression. The Center’s survey asked about some of the pressures teens face in their daily lives. About six-in-ten teens (61%) said they personally felt a lot of pressure to get good grades, while roughly three-in-ten reported a lot of pressure to “look good” and fit in socially (29% and 28%, respectively).

“The universal theme to “look good” continues to impact both teen girls and boys, but definitely more teen girls. If looking good meant simply expressing who you are and connecting your inner world to your external appearance, it wouldn’t be as concerning,” concludes Dr. Reef, “but “looking good” implies there is a comparative standard to live up to with judgement. This leads to a lack of originality, a lack of creativity, a lack of diversity and a lack of self-expression; all components of leading an innovative and meaningful life.”

**Dr. Reef Karim is a highly sought-after speaker, guest, coach, performing artist and content creator and is well known in the media with recurring appearances on: Oprah, Dr. Oz, CNN, Larry King Live, Dr Phil, Anderson Cooper 360, Nightline, The Today Show, Chelsea Lately and many others. He hosted the television shows Broken Minds on the Discovery Network, House of Clues on Court TV and Outrageous Acts of Psych on the Science Channel. He frequently writes and produces contemporary wisdom and contemporary comedic content to empower and enlighten individuals to express their originality and innovation without fear.

He is the co-author of the dating psychology book “Why Does He Do That? Why Does She Do That?”, and his research on human behavior has been published in many prestigious academic journals including, The International Journal of Neuroscience and The Journal of Addiction Medicine. He recently founded a production company focused on developing content for new media, broadcast television, and independent film called MadLab (madness laboratory). Finally, for his work in medicine, advocacy, research and entertainment, he was voted one of People Magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive and one of the most fascinating people in Los Angeles (2019)

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