This study describes and compares depressive symptoms in adolescence and adulthood to assess the relative mental health standing of adolescents. Adolescent data are from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (AddHealth) a 2-wave panel survey of a nationally representative sample of 20,704 ethnically diverse high school students. We measure depressive symptoms with a 16-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and report specific item and scale comparisons for depression by several demographic factors including age, gender, ethnicity and family structure. Preliminary analysis of the AddHealth data indicate that depressive symptoms, as assessed with the 16-item version of the CES-D (alpha=.85): 1) generally increase with age; 2) are higher among girls compared to boys; 3) are highest among Native American, Latino and Asian youth; and 4) are lowest among intact nuclear families compared to all other family constellations. In addition to these descriptive factors, AddHealth data are compared to several studies using the CES-D as a measure of depression both among adult populations and among different groups of adolescents. Our discussion emphasizes implications for a better understanding of depression within a life course perspective.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to: Describe the prevalence of depressive symptoms in adolescents in the United States. Compare the rates of depression over the life course. Discuss the measurement of depression in a multi-ethnic population
Keywords: Depression, Adolescent Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.