Co-occurring Trajectories of Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and Oppositional Defiance From Adolescence to Young Adulthood

Abstract

This study uses a cohort-sequential longitudinal design to examine the patterns of change and codevelopment of anxiety, depression, and oppositional defiant symptoms (ODS) from late adolescence to young adulthood. Four waves of data were collected biennially by individual interview with a random, community-based sample of 662 youth ages 12 to 18 years at Time 1 (18-26 years at Time 4). Using latent growth curve modeling, we examined co-occurring changes in the levels, rates of change, and variability in symptoms of anxiety, depression, and oppositional defiance. Sex differences were also assessed. Levels of anxiety, depression, and ODS were correlated at each time point. Moreover, adolescents with high initial levels in one domain tended to have high initial levels in the other domains. In addition, increases in depressive symptoms were significantly correlated with increases in anxiety and in ODS, but adolescent levels of symptoms did not predict increases over time. Symptoms of anxiety (for female and male individuals) and depression (for male individuals) continue to increase in young adulthood, whereas ODS stabilize or decline. Adolescent levels of these problems have a significant impact on later levels, suggesting that preventive interventions may be needed in adolescence to defer negative consequences of mental health problems in young adults.

Peer Victimization and Internalizing Symptoms From Adolescence Into Young Adulthood: Building Strength Through Emotional Support

“…However, other research reports that rates of depressive symptoms increase from midto late-adolescence but remain stable from late adolescence into early adulthood (Hankin et al, 1998). Gender differences in these trajectories from adolescence to young adulthood have also been found showing increases in depressive symptoms across the transition to young adulthood for adolescent males, but not adolescent females (Leadbeater, Thompson, & Gruppuso, 2012).…”

Psychische Auffälligkeiten und psychosoziale Beeinträchtigungen bei Kindern und Jugendlichen im Alter von 3 bis 17 Jahren in Deutschland – Prävalenz und zeitliche Trends zu 2 Erhebungszeitpunkten (2003–2006 und 2009–2012)

“…Psychische Auffälligkeiten und Störun-gen im Kindes-und Jugendalter gehen häufig mit erheblichen Beeinträchtigun-gen des familiären, schulischen oder erweiterten sozialen Umfelds einher [1,2], können bis in das Erwachsenenalter chronifizieren [3,4] und die sozialen Beziehungen, den Bildungs-und Berufserfolg, aber auch die somatische Gesundheit und die Lebensqualität nachhaltig beeinträchtigen [2,[5][6][7]. Der oftmals hohe individuelle Leidensdruck und die gesellschaftlichen und ökonomischen Kosten, die durch psychische Auffälligkeiten und Störungen entstehen, begründen deren erhebliche Public-Health-Relevanz [8,9].…”

Longitudinal Profiles of Girls’ Irritable, Defiant and Antagonistic Oppositional Symptoms: Evidence for Group Based Differences in Symptom Severity

“…In the low level multi-symptom trajectory group, symptom decline was observed for all three dimensions. Several other trajectory studies have reported reductions in ODD symptoms over time in girls of this age group (Boylan et al, 2012;Leadbeater et al, 2012), as well as persistence/stability of ODD symptoms in youth with high levels of oppositional symptoms at baseline (Bongers et al, 2004). Stability of irritability symptoms relative to desistance of defiance symptoms over time has been reported across ages 12-25 years (Leadbeater & Homel, 2015).…”

“…As no study has specifically examined the question of subdimension trajectories, we do not know whether this profile exists. Other trajectory studies of four to seven ODD symptoms grouped together (Boylan et al, 2012;Leadbeater et al, 2012) have not identified sex differences in the trajectories and it may be the result of not specifying factors specific to irritability and behavioural symptoms.…”