Co-morbid or causal?: The interactions between adolescent risk taking and depressive symptoms

Adolescent risk taking (sexual risk and substance use) and depression are significant experiences in the life course as they can contribute to sexually transmitted infections and substance abuse/addiction in young adulthood. There are mixed findings on the causal associations between adolescent risk taking and depression. Previous analyses of the large, diverse, and nationally representative sample in the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health) have found associations that vary by gender and race/ethnicity during the period from adolescence (12-19 years old) to emerging adulthood (18-26 years old). This project will build on earlier work by examining time lagged associations between risk-taking and depression as Add Health sample members move into young adulthood (24-32 years old). Specifically, the aim is to determine whether there is stronger support for risk taking or depression as the causal factor. Using data from Waves I and IV of Add Health, this project will use mixed regression models to analyze the time lagged associations between risk taking (sexual risk and substance use) and depressive symptoms(as measured by the CES-D). Models will be stratified by sex and race/ethnicity. The results of this analysis will inform public health prevention and screening efforts by enhancing our understanding of directional associations between risk taking and depression, and how these may vary by sex and race/ethnicity.