Abstract
Considerable research has documented associations between adverse life events and internalizing symptoms in adolescents, but
much of this research has focused on the number of events experienced, with less attention to the ecological context or timing
of events. This study examined life events in three ecological domains relevant to adolescents (i.e., family, peers, themselves)
as predictors of the course of depressive symptoms among a community epidemiologically defined sample of 419 (47.2% females)
urban African American adolescents. Given that youth depressive symptoms change over time, grade level was examined as a moderator.
For males, the strength of associations between life events happening to participants, family life events, and peer life events
and depressive symptoms did not change from grades 6–9. For females, the strength of the association between peer life events
and depressive symptoms did not change over time, but the strength of associations between life events happening to participants
and family life events and females’ depressive symptoms decreased over time. Implications of the findings and directions for
future research are discussed.
much of this research has focused on the number of events experienced, with less attention to the ecological context or timing
of events. This study examined life events in three ecological domains relevant to adolescents (i.e., family, peers, themselves)
as predictors of the course of depressive symptoms among a community epidemiologically defined sample of 419 (47.2% females)
urban African American adolescents. Given that youth depressive symptoms change over time, grade level was examined as a moderator.
For males, the strength of associations between life events happening to participants, family life events, and peer life events
and depressive symptoms did not change from grades 6–9. For females, the strength of the association between peer life events
and depressive symptoms did not change over time, but the strength of associations between life events happening to participants
and family life events and females’ depressive symptoms decreased over time. Implications of the findings and directions for
future research are discussed.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-11
- DOI 10.1007/s10964-011-9689-8
- Authors
- Yadira M. Sanchez, Department of Psychology, George Washington University, 2125 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA
- Sharon F. Lambert, Department of Psychology, George Washington University, 2125 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA
- Nicholas S. Ialongo, Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 624 N. Broadway, 8th Fl., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Journal Journal of Youth and Adolescence
- Online ISSN 1573-6601
- Print ISSN 0047-2891