There has been a lot of recent news reporting a link between casual sex and depression. According to research conducted by the Ohio State University people who suffer from mental health conditions including depression. Young teens who are depressed are more likely to engage in casual sex as well. Interestingly the study has been based only on 10,000 teenagers who were asked a series of questions based around their love life and mental health.
With respect to the researches responsible, it is almost impossible not to find a teenager who isn’t depressed at some point during adolescence. Teenagers regularly harbour depressed feelings and miserable thoughts whether or not they’re engaging in casual sex. Teenagers just get generally miserable because their hormones are raging all over the place. Citing casual sex as the cause of all their woes – something which this study claims to do – is akin to saying that taxes are the cause of all woes.
It’s just not accurate.
This is further indicated by the fact that the lead author of the study – Sara Sandberg-Thoma – herself admits that the nature of the link is unclear.
Knowing the difference between depression and casual sex
Where the research falls down is quite obvious to us; a) it fails to take into account other demographics who regularly engage in casual sex (eg. Pretty much everyone from the age of 20 and up) b) it fails to comment on the positive health benefits casual sex brings to many people engaging in it c) it fails to acknowledge that someone suffering from depression will be depressed no matter what recreational activities they engage in.
Where the difference lies
Someone suffering from depression is more likely to be more depressed when engaging in casual sex as they are often suffering from severe self esteem issues. They require longer lasting bonds with other people because they require continual reassurance that they are worth something to somebody. They need strong emotional ties to aid their recovery. Casual sex will never help them because the whole premise is based on the fact that you see people on an informal friendly basis with no long lasting emotional ties – precisely the opposite of what someone suffering from low self-esteem needs. Casual sex in itself cannot be blamed for causing depression. It is more the fact that casual sex is often confused by a depressive for a longer lasting emotional bond.
And this is where the study by the University of Ohio falls down entirely because it fails to take into consideration the stark facts.
1. Many mentally healthy people engage in casual sex with no negative mental side effects
2. Depressives who engage in casual sex will still be depressed.
The cause of depression lies elsewhere and to blame casual sex – at the most a side-effect of the condition – for it is to ignore huge swathes of evidence to the contrary.
Add new comment