Abstract
We compared the relationship between individual undesirable life-events and comprehensive life-event factors, as well as major depression in adolescents. Students in four public suburban middle schools were screened for depressive symptomatology and life-events by a self-administered questionnaire. Seven of 21 individual events (parents' divorce, parental job loss, problems between parents, problems between the adolescent and his/her parents, failing a grade in school, school suspension, death of a close friend) and three of six life-event factors (conflict/disappointment, marital discord, maladjustment) were significantly related to depression in univariate models. A multivariate examination of the individual events was difficult to interpret, but examination of the event factors found maladjustment and conflict/disappointment significant. Analyses using the undesirable life-event factors provided a clearer picture of the relationships investigated by grouping related events into a more manageable number of independent categories. Specific combinations of life-events suggest stronger associations with adolescent depression than others. Clinicians may identify youths at risk for depression when specific combinations of undesirable life-events occur.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 47-60 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Journal of Child and Family Studies |
Volume | 2 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 1993 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- adolescents
- depression
- life-events
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Life-span and Life-course Studies