Study in RS tries to understand which adolescents are at greater risk of depression; find out how it works

Study in RS tries to understand which adolescents are at greater risk of depression Research conducted in Rio Grande do Sul identified ways to identify, even in adolescence, which young people are more vulnerable to depression in the following years. The study had international scientific repercussion and resulted in the development of the IDEA-RS (Identifying Depression Early in Adolescence Risk Score), an assessment tool based on sociodemographic and psychosocial variables. ? Access the g1 RS channel on WhatsApp The method uses information about the participants' life context and biological data to estimate the risk of a teenager developing depression in the following three years, even without showing symptoms at the time of analysis. The work was coordinated by psychiatrist Christian Kieling, director of the Mental Health Research Unit at Hospital Moinhos de Vento and professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). "Adolescence is a period of vulnerability for the emergence of mental disorders, such as depression, as well as anxiety itself", explains Kieling. The tool created by the researchers considers 11 variables related to both personal characteristics and the experiences lived by adolescents. Among them are: sex; quality of family and friendship relationships; drug use; history of running away from home; experiences of abuse or neglect. To develop the model, the researchers analyzed aspects of the family environment and social conditions of young people and crossed this information with test results, such as blood tests and brain images. The combination of data made it possible to estimate the probability of the disease emerging. Study in RS tries to understand which teenagers are at greater risk of depression Reproduction/RBS TV Results The results caught the attention of scientists. Among adolescents identified as most at risk, 44% developed depression over three years. In the group classified as low risk, no cases were recorded in the same period. One of the study participants was Emanuele Moura, now a medical student. Still in high school, she met the criteria assessed by the research and sought professional help to better understand the symptoms she was facing. Emanuele reports that he underwent cognitive behavioral therapy and, during the transition from adolescence to adulthood, he also used antidepressants. "Today I can, with cognitive-behavioral therapy alone, control these major symptoms", comments Emanuele. International funding The results paved the way for a new stage of work, called IDEA-IMPACT (Identifying Depression Early in Adolescence for Maximizing Prevention and Clinical Translation), aimed at expanding and validating the tool. The project received more than 5 million pounds sterling (around R$34 million) from the Wellcome Trust, an institution based in London and considered one of the main funders of biomedical research in the world. The resources will be invested over five years, starting in May 2026. In this new phase, the researchers intend to test and validate the tool in different contexts and populations, in addition to evaluating how it can contribute to depression prevention strategies. Among the possibilities studied are applications in schools and primary health care. "Being able to understand in which scenarios, in which contexts, this type of risk calculator is most useful and ethically acceptable to use", points out Kieling. Support network In addition to pointing out factors associated with the risk of depression, the research identified elements that can act as protection. One of the main ones is the existence of a support network based on dialogue and acceptance. This type of initiative is put into practice at the Júlio Brunelli State School, in Porto Alegre. In conversation circles promoted by the institution, students share difficulties, insecurities and experiences lived inside and outside the school environment. According to director Vanice Loose, the meetings help young people to express issues that afflict them, involving family, coexistence with peers and behavior. "We noticed that this predisposition rate for depression decreased significantly", highlights Loose. Study in RS tries to understand which teenagers are at greater risk of depression Reproduction/RBS TV VIDEOS: Everything about RS