Diverse Patterns in the Development of Depressive Symptoms Among Emerging Adults

Abstract

This article examines depressive symptoms over a 4-year period in a racially diverse community sample of 1,143 18- to 22-year-old emerging adults using latent growth and mixture modeling and data collected at three time points. Participants were high school seniors randomly chosen from nine public schools in a metropolitan region in the Northeastern United States. Mixture analyses yielded four distinct groups: one large group with low, stable rates of depression, a smaller group who began with higher levels of depression that then declined steeply, a group who began with moderate levels that steeply increased, and a small group with high stable rates of depressive symptoms. We examined risks for depressive symptoms including poverty status, African American race, Hispanic ethnicity, gender, and trauma history, controlling for socioeconomic status (SES) as represented by maternal education. Some risks predicted membership in more than one symptom group, lending support to the idea that emerging adulthood is a period of diverse outcomes, in which previous circumstances may predict to multiple pathways, and established risk factors do not always lead to poor outcomes.

Affective, Biological, and Cognitive Predictors of Depressive Symptom Trajectories in Adolescence

“…Most trajectory analyses also find evidence for a sizable minority who display a pattern of low depressive symptoms initially, which increase dramatically over time (Brendgen, Wanner, Morin, & Vitaro, 2005; Costello et al, 2008; Dekker et al, 2007; Frye & Liem, 2011; Reinke et al, 2012). At least three studies have also found that a sizable minority of youth display high depressive symptoms initially, which decline over time (Costello et al, 2008; Frye & Liem; 2011; Reinke et al, 2012). Finally, some studies find a small group of youth with consistently high depressive symptoms (Brendgen et al, 2005; Frye & Liem, 2011; Sterba et al, 2007; Reinke et al, 2012; Rodriguez, Moss, & Audrain-McGovern, 2005).…”

“…The majority of adolescents in community samples display consistently low depressive symptoms across late childhood and adolescence (e.g. Costello, Swendsen, Rose, & Dierker, 2008; Frye & Liem, 2011; Reinke, Eddy, Dishion, & Reid, 2012; Sterba, Prinstein, & Cox, 2007). Most trajectory analyses also find evidence for a sizable minority who display a pattern of low depressive symptoms initially, which increase dramatically over time (Brendgen, Wanner, Morin, & Vitaro, 2005; Costello et al, 2008; Dekker et al, 2007; Frye & Liem, 2011; Reinke et al, 2012).…”

“…Costello, Swendsen, Rose, & Dierker, 2008; Frye & Liem, 2011; Reinke, Eddy, Dishion, & Reid, 2012; Sterba, Prinstein, & Cox, 2007). Most trajectory analyses also find evidence for a sizable minority who display a pattern of low depressive symptoms initially, which increase dramatically over time (Brendgen, Wanner, Morin, & Vitaro, 2005; Costello et al, 2008; Dekker et al, 2007; Frye & Liem, 2011; Reinke et al, 2012). At least three studies have also found that a sizable minority of youth display high depressive symptoms initially, which decline over time (Costello et al, 2008; Frye & Liem; 2011; Reinke et al, 2012).…”

“…At least three studies have also found that a sizable minority of youth display high depressive symptoms initially, which decline over time (Costello et al, 2008; Frye & Liem; 2011; Reinke et al, 2012). Finally, some studies find a small group of youth with consistently high depressive symptoms (Brendgen et al, 2005; Frye & Liem, 2011; Sterba et al, 2007; Reinke et al, 2012; Rodriguez, Moss, & Audrain-McGovern, 2005). …”

“…Brendgen et al (2005) reported that girls with a highly reactive temperament who experienced rejection by same-sex peers were more likely to follow the increasing trajectory of depressive symptoms. Some risk factors exert general influences on high-risk depressive symptom profiles (e.g., increasing profile, stably high profile), including being female (Brendgen et al, 2005; Costello et al, 2008; Frye & Liem, 2011), trauma history (Frye & Liem, 2011), and postpartum maternal depression (Sterba et al, 2007). …”