According to a recent study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, teenagers who spend more time listening to music could be at a higher risk for depression. Conversely, teens who read books drastically reduced their risk for depression.
Teens in the highest use group for music listened to it for four to five hours a day, Time magazine reports. With each use-level increase in music use, teens had an 80 percent higher risk of having major depressive disorder (MDD). Teens who read reduced their risk of having MDD by 50 percent with each level increase in time spent reading.
Dr. Brian Primack, who led the study, said it was unclear as to whether depressed people listen to music to escape their problems or if listening to too much music can lead to depression, or both.
Researchers surveyed 106 people aged seven to 17 month for a two month period. Forty-six of the participants had been previously diagnosed with depression.
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