Dataset Information

Depression and delinquency covariation in an accelerated longitudinal sample of adolescents.

ABSTRACT: The current study tested opposing predictions stemming from the failure and acting out theories of depression-delinquency covariation.Participants included a nationwide longitudinal sample of adolescents (N = 3,604) ages 12 to 17. Competing models were tested with cohort-sequential latent growth curve modeling to determine whether depressive symptoms at age 12 (baseline) predicted concurrent and age-related changes in delinquent behavior, whether the opposite pattern was apparent (delinquency predicting depression), and whether initial levels of depression predict changes in delinquency significantly better than vice versa.Early depressive symptoms predicted age-related changes in delinquent behavior significantly better than early delinquency predicted changes in depressive symptoms. In addition, the impact of gender on age-related changes in delinquent symptoms was mediated by gender differences in depressive symptom changes, indicating that depressive symptoms are a particularly salient risk factor for delinquent behavior in girls.Early depressive symptoms represent a significant risk factor for later delinquent behavior--especially for girls--and appear to be a better predictor of later delinquency than early delinquency is of later depression. These findings provide support for the acting out theory and contradict failure theory predictions.

SUBMITTER: Kofler MJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4490863 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Depression and delinquency covariation in an accelerated longitudinal sample of adolescents.

Kofler Michael J MJ McCart Michael R MR Zajac Kristyn K Ruggiero Kenneth J KJ Saunders Benjamin E BE Kilpatrick Dean G DG

Journal of consulting and clinical psychology 20110801 4

<h4>Objectives</h4>The current study tested opposing predictions stemming from the failure and acting out theories of depression-delinquency covariation.<h4>Method</h4>Participants included a nationwide longitudinal sample of adolescents (N = 3,604) ages 12 to 17. Competing models were tested with cohort-sequential latent growth curve modeling to determine whether depressive symptoms at age 12 (baseline) predicted concurrent and age-related changes in delinquent behavior, whether the opposite pa ...[more]

PMID: 21787049

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundDepression has been associated with low-grade elevation of plasma cytokines (e.g. interleukin-6, IL-6; tumor necrosis factor alpha, TNFα) in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies in adults. Preclinical and clinical studies also suggest that IL-6 and TNFα elevation are associated with anhedonia. However, few studies have examined longitudinal relationships between cytokines and depression/anhedonia in clinically depressed samples, particularly adolescents.MethodsThirty-six adolescents with a depressive disorder receiving standard-of-care community treatment were assessed at a baseline and a follow-up timepoint. Self-report and clinical measures of depression and anhedonia, along with plasma IL-6 and TNFα levels, were obtained at both timepoints. Baseline cytokine measures were examined in association with baseline and follow-up clinical measures. On an exploratory basis, change in clinical measures over time was examined in relation to change in cytokine levels over time.ResultsHigher baseline TNFα levels predicted higher follow-up depression severity after approximately four months (controlling for baseline depression). Higher baseline TNFα levels also associated positively with baseline anhedonia and predicted higher anhedonia at follow-up (controlling for baseline anhedonia). No association was found between change in clinical measures and change in cytokine levels over time.ConclusionsAmong adolescents receiving standard-of-care community treatment for depression, higher levels of TNFα predicted greater depressive symptoms at 4-month follow-up, suggesting this cytokine may be used to help identify patients in need of more intensive treatment. Elevated TNFα levels were also associated with concurrent and future anhedonia symptoms, suggesting a specific mechanism in which TNFα affects depression trajectories. Future studies should examine the relationships between cytokine levels and depression/anhedonia symptoms at multiple timepoints in larger cohorts of depressed adolescents.

Dataset Information

Depression and delinquency covariation in an accelerated longitudinal sample of adolescents.

Publications

Depression and delinquency covariation in an accelerated longitudinal sample of adolescents.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure