The Relation between Eating- and Weight-Related Disturbances and Depressive Symptoms among Early and Late Adolescents

Abstract

A substantial proportion of adolescents experience clinical and subclinical depression. It is particularly important to study novel risk factors that may broaden our understanding of depression during adolescence. There is growing literature on the relation between eating-and weight-related disturbances (e.g., body weight regulation strategies, body dissatisfaction) and depression during adolescence; however, age and gender differences in this relation remain unclear. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, the current study examined the relation between eating-and weight-related disturbances and depressive symptoms among early and late adolescent girls and boys. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to investigate the relation between eating-and weightrelated disturbances and depressive symptoms after accounting for self-esteem, pubertal status, and body mass index among early and late adolescent girls and boys. Several body weight regulation strategies, including binge eating, purging, and weight control behaviors were associated with depressive symptoms and varied by gender and age. The results are clinically meaningful and have the potential to inform youth mental health services. For example, depression prevention programs could increase their effectiveness by encouraging healthy body weight regulation strategies and nutritional eating, particularly among early adolescents.

Sintomas depressivos em adolescentes em situação de vulnerabilidade social

“…Nessa fase da vida, alguns estudos associaram os sintomas de depressão com abusos sofridos na infância, diminuição da concentração de serotonina na fenda pré-sináptica e uma pré-disposição genética 1,5 . Além disso, outras questões de saúde podem estar associadas com os sintomas depressivos, tais como: a autoestima, a satisfação em relação à massa corporal, a satisfação com o corpo, os problemas no sono, o humor deprimido, o baixo interesse e os sentimentos de desesperança 6 . O adolescente pode estar propenso aos sintomas depressivos em decorrência do seu desenvolvimento incompleto, o que não lhe garante a condição de ser autônomo nas suas escolhas e atitudes 7 .…”