Adolescent psychopathology: II. Psychosocial risk factors for depression.

TLDR

In a prospective study of 1,508 adolescents, psychosocial variables were assessed at baseline and after one year to examine their association with depression. The study found that most psychosocial variables were linked to current depression, differentiated former depressed adolescents from controls, and served as risk factors for future depression—particularly past depression, other mental disorders, suicide attempts, internalizing problems, and physical symptoms—while young women were more likely to experience depression, and adjusting for psychosocial factors removed gender differences in current and future but not past depression.

Abstract

In a prospective study of adolescent depression, adolescents (N = 1,508) were assessed at Time 1 and after 1 year (Time 2) on psychosocial variables hypothesized to be associated with depression. Most psychosocial variables were associated with current (n = 45) depression. Formerly depressed adolescents (n = 217) continued to differ from never depressed controls on many of the psychosocial variables. Many of the depression-related measures also acted as risk factors for future depression (n = 112), especially past depression, current other mental disorders, past suicide attempt, internalizing behavior problems, and physical symptoms. Young women were more likely to be, to become, and to have been depressed. Controlling for the psychosocial variables eliminated the gender difference for current and future but not for past depression.