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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Katherine Best, MSW, MPH¹, Mary I. Armstrong, PhD², and Roger A. Boothroyd, PhD². (1) Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612, 813 974-8736, kbest@fmhi.usf.edu, (2) Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, Department of Child and Family Studies, University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612

Background: Chapman et al., (2004) demonstrated that the cumulative impact of adverse childhood exposures increased the risk of depression.

Purpose: To examine the cumulative impact of multiple adverse exposures on depression and suicide ideation during a four year period as adolescents' transition into adulthood.

Methods: A secondary data analysis from a mixed method four-year longitudinal study of 125 mother/daughter dyads in the context of welfare reform. Procedures similar to those used by Chapman, et al., (2004) with an adult population were used to develop a cumulative impact score of adverse exposures to assess a dose-response relationship with clinical depression. This score includes: adolescent victimization, community exposures to violence, maternal victimization, and household dysfunction.

Findings: The rate of adolescent depression using the CES-D steadily increased from 30% in 2002 to 45% in 2004. Prevalence rates for personal exposure to victimization was 76% (n = 96) with 21% (n = 24) reporting sexually assaults. The relationship between victimization and depression in 2002 and 2003 were significant at (p<.01) level. Adolescents' victimized were 2.6 times more likely to be depressed compared to those unexposed. A significant relationship was found between exposure to community violence and depression (p < .001). Those exposed were 4.4 times more likely to be depressed compared to those unexposed. Further analysis of the cumulative impact of adverse experiences on depression will be summarized during the presentation.

Discussion: Current findings suggest substantial contextual stressors as well as unmet mental health needs as evidence for interventions that address exposures to adversity.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to identify potential adverse exposures contributing to clinical depression in adolescent girls.
• Participants will be able to assess the dose response of adverse exposures to depression in girls.

Keywords: Depression, Violence

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No