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New research provides evidence that adolescents who feel their lives have direction are less likely to develop depression as they transition into adulthood. The findings indicate that fostering a sense of purpose during the teenage years could serve as an effective non-pharmacological strategy for protecting long-term mental health. This study was published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.
The period separating adolescence from young adulthood represents a distinct developmental window characterized by profound uncertainty and change. During this time, the incidence of depression tends to rise sharply. This increase is often attributed to a combination of physiological changes associated with puberty and shifting social pressures regarding education, career, and relationships.
Depression during these formative years can have lasting consequences, ranging from impaired interpersonal relationships to reduced economic productivity and a higher risk of chronic physical diseases. Consequently, identifying psychological factors that might shield young people from these negative outcomes is a priority for mental health experts.
One potential protective factor identified by psychologists is purpose in life. This psychological concept involves the feeling that one’s existence has meaning and is oriented toward specific goals. While many people may intuitively feel that a sense of purpose supports mental well-being, scientific research is necessary to quantify this effect.
Previous studies involving older adults have provided evidence that a strong sense of purpose correlates with fewer depressive symptoms. However, less is known about how purpose specifically functions during the teenage years to predict future mental health.
“Many young adults struggle with their mental health. The transition from adolescence to adulthood has long been a sensitive period for the development of depression, which is particularly true today,” said study author Angelina R. Sutin, a professor at the Florida State University College of Medicine.
“When measured at the same time, higher purpose in life is related to fewer depressive symptoms. There is some evidence that middle-aged adults with more purpose are less likely to develop depression over time. Purpose in life as a predictor of new onset of depression in young adulthood had not been tested.”
To investigate this relationship, the research team utilized data from the Transition to Adulthood Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. The Panel Study of Income Dynamics is a long-running survey that tracks families and individuals over time to understand various social, economic, and health trends.
The analysis focused specifically on participants who provided data on their sense of purpose between the ages of 17 and 19. To ensure the results reflected new cases of depression rather than existing conditions, the researchers instituted a strict selection process. They excluded any participants who met the criteria for depression at the initial assessment. This allowed them to isolate the development of new depressive episodes.
The final analytic sample consisted of 2,821 participants. These individuals were followed for up to ten years, with assessments occurring every two years until they reached age 28. The sample was diverse, with females making up roughly 51 percent of the group and a significant portion of participants identifying as Black or Hispanic. The researchers measured purpose in life using a specific question asking how often participants felt their life had direction or purpose in the previous month. Responses were recorded on a scale ranging from “never” to “every day.”
To assess depression, the study employed the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. This measure asks participants to report the frequency of six specific symptoms over the prior month: nervousness, hopelessness, restlessness, feeling that everything was an effort, sadness, and worthlessness.
A cumulative score was calculated for each participant. Individuals scoring above a specific threshold were classified as experiencing elevated distress indicative of depression. The researchers then applied statistical models to determine if the initial ratings of purpose at age 17 to 19 predicted who would fall into the depressed category during the follow-up period up to age 28.
“The Transition to Adulthood Supplement from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics provided really great data to test whether the protective effect of purpose seen in middle-adulthood is also apparent across this critical transition,” Sutin said.
The data provided clear evidence that purpose acts as a protective buffer. The researchers found that higher levels of purpose in late adolescence were associated with a significantly reduced risk of developing depression later.
Specifically, for every standard deviation increase in reported purpose, the risk of incident depression decreased by approximately 35 percent. This protective effect persisted over the decade-long follow-up period. This suggests that the benefit of purpose is not temporary but extends throughout the often-difficult transition into adult life.
The researchers accounted for various sociodemographic factors that could influence the results. The association between purpose and lower depression risk remained significant even when controlling for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and childhood socioeconomic status. The researchers also adjusted for a history of psychiatric diagnoses. Even among those with a prior history of mental health issues, a higher sense of purpose continued to predict a lower likelihood of future depression.
“Many people may have an intuitive sense of the importance of purpose in life for mental health, such that people who feel more purposeful are likely to have better mental health,” Sutin told PsyPost. “This study used a strong dataset to quantify this intuition, most importantly over time: Adolescents who feel more purposeful are less likely to become depressed across the transition to adulthood.”
“This finding points to the importance of helping adolescents develop their purpose. An intervention to increase purpose may be one non-pharmacological approach to improving mental health among young adults.”
To further validate their findings, the authors conducted sensitivity analyses. One concern in longitudinal research is reverse causality, where an unobserved early symptom might influence the predictor. To address this, they analyzed the data after excluding cases of depression that appeared within the first two years. The association held firm, suggesting that low purpose was not simply a symptom of already-developing depression.
“I have done a lot of work on purpose in life and better health outcomes across adulthood, so it was not super surprising that purpose would be associated with better mental health outcomes in young adulthood,” Sutin explained. “Still, it is nice to see that data support it. One thing that was surprising was that I thought that purpose might not have been as protective for adolescents who had a previous mental health diagnosis earlier in childhood. The association, however, was not different, which indicates that purpose is protective even among adolescents who are more at risk for depression.”
The team also explored whether the benefits of purpose varied across different groups of people. They tested for interactions based on sex, race, ethnicity, parental education, and psychiatric history.
Their analysis revealed that the protective nature of purpose was consistent across these demographics. It appears to benefit males and females equally, as well as individuals from diverse racial and economic backgrounds. This finding is notable because certain groups, such as females and those with lower socioeconomic status, typically face a higher risk of depression. The data suggests purpose is a universal resource that offers similar protection regardless of demographic background.
The researchers propose several reasons why a sense of purpose might ward off depression. Theoretical models suggest that purpose provides a form of psychological scaffolding. This internal structure may help adolescents navigate the identity challenges and uncertainties that define the transition to adulthood.
When individuals view their lives as goal-oriented, they may be better equipped to handle setbacks. Rather than succumbing to despair in the face of stressors, purposeful individuals may channel their energy into long-term pursuits. This focus on future goals can reduce the immediate impact of daily difficulties.
Additionally, purpose is often linked to better emotion regulation. Adolescents with a strong sense of direction may be more capable of managing negative feelings and maintaining motivation. Behavioral mechanisms might also play a role in this relationship.
Previous research indicates that people with a higher sense of purpose tend to engage in healthier lifestyle behaviors. They are often more physically active and less likely to engage in substance abuse. These behaviors are known to support mental health and could explain part of the protective effect observed in the study.
Social factors likely contribute as well. Purposeful individuals often report lower levels of loneliness and higher satisfaction in their relationships. Strong social integration is a well-established buffer against depression. The cumulative effect of these behavioral, social, and emotional mechanisms likely creates the robust protection observed in the data.
But it is important to note that “there are many causes of depression, and most predictors of depression are likely to have a small effect. From this perspective, the effect size for purpose is modest. Still, the effect was robust when other important predictors were accounted for and was similar across different demographic groups.”
The study also has some limitations to consider. The research was observational in nature. While the longitudinal design helps track sequences of events, it cannot definitively prove that purpose causes a reduction in depression. It is possible that other unmeasured variables influence both factors.
“Future studies that intervene on purpose in late adolescence are needed before any causal claims can be made,” Sutin said. “It would also be great to replicate these findings with a clinical diagnosis of depression by a healthcare provider.”
Understanding the specific mechanisms, such as whether purpose leads to better social relationships or school investment, is also a goal for future inquiry. By identifying these pathways, mental health professionals can better tailor support for young adults navigating this critical life stage.
The study, “Purpose in life in late adolescence and incident depression over 10 years,” was authored by Angelina R. Sutin, Martina Luchetti, Yannick Stephan, and Antonio Terracciano.
