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Bidirectional associations between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms from adolescence through early adulthood.

ABSTRACT: Body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms are commonly experienced during adolescence and increase the risk of adverse health outcomes, especially eating disorders. However, the dominant temporal associations between these two experiences (i.e., whether one is a risk factor for the other or the two are mutually reinforcing) has yet to be fully explored. We examined the associations between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms assessed at baseline and 5- and 10-year follow-up in younger (M age = 12.9 years at baseline, 56% female, n = 577) and older (M age = 15.9 years at baseline, 57% female, n = 1,325) adolescent cohorts assessed as part of Project Eating Among Teens and Young Adults. Associations between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms were examined using cross-lagged models. For females, the dominant directionality was for body dissatisfaction predicting later depressive symptoms. For males, the picture was more complex, with developmentally sensitive associations in which depressive symptoms predicted later body dissatisfaction in early adolescence and early adulthood, but the reverse association was dominant during middle adolescence. These findings suggest that interventions should be tailored to dynamic risk profiles that shift over adolescence and early adulthood, and that targeting body dissatisfaction at key periods during development may have downstream impacts on depressive symptoms.

SUBMITTER: Sharpe H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6343674 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Bidirectional associations between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms from adolescence through early adulthood.

Sharpe Helen H Patalay Praveetha P Choo Tse-Hwei TH Wall Melanie M Mason Susan M SM Goldschmidt Andrea B AB Neumark-Sztainer Dianne D

Development and psychopathology 20171116 4

Body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms are commonly experienced during adolescence and increase the risk of adverse health outcomes, especially eating disorders. However, the dominant temporal associations between these two experiences (i.e., whether one is a risk factor for the other or the two are mutually reinforcing) has yet to be fully explored. We examined the associations between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms assessed at baseline and 5- and 10-year follow-up in younge ...[more]

PMID: 29144209

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Project description:ImportanceDepressive symptoms have increased among US adolescents since 2010. It remains unclear as to what extent this increase will persist into young adulthood, potentially turning the youth mental health crisis into a young adult mental health crisis.ObjectiveTo test the association between birth cohort and adolescent depressive symptoms at ages 18, 19 to 20, and 21 to 22 years and changes in these symptoms by cohort.Design, setting, and participantsThis panel cohort study analyzed data from the Monitoring the Future longitudinal survey from 1990 to 2019, including birth cohorts from 1972 to 2001. Survey respondents were recruited from US high schools in 12th grade and were approximately aged 18 years (at baseline) through age 21 to 22 years (during mail and web follow-up). Data analysis was conducted from April to October 2023.ExposureDepressive symptoms score (>12 vs ≤12, with >12 representing top-decile scores) on a scale examining affective items (eg, "Life often seems meaningless").Main outcomes and measuresHigh (vs lower) depressive symptoms at ages 19 to 20 years and 21 to 22 years.ResultsThe 36 552 respondents included 18 597 females (50.5%), and most reported having a parent who graduated from college (44.8%). Among females, 19.1% (95% CI, 16.7%-21.4%) of the most recent birth cohort (born: 1997-2001) had high depressive symptoms at age 18 years, higher than any previous birth cohort. While prevalence declined by age 21 to 22 years, it remained higher than previous cohorts at that age. Among males, 13.4% (95% CI, 11.2%-15.6%) of the most recent birth cohort had high depressive symptoms at age 18 years, and prevalence increased through young adulthood. Males with high baseline depressive symptoms had 10.24 (95% CI, 7.01-14.97) times the odds of symptoms at age 19 to 20 years and 6.20 (95% CI, 3.93-9.78) times the odds of symptoms at age 21 to 22 years. Females with high baseline depressive symptoms had 9.16 (95% CI, 6.57-12.76) times the odds of symptoms at age 19 to 20 years and 7.28 (95% CI, 4.92-10.78) times the odds of symptoms at age 21 to 22 years. The magnitude of the associations did not vary over time. Population attributable fractions indicated that the total proportion of young adult symptoms associated with depressive symptoms at age 18 years among females has increased; in the most recent birth cohort, 55.25% (95% CI, 38.11%-65.13%) of depressive symptoms at age 21 to 22 years were associated with symptoms at age 18 years.Conclusions and relevanceThis panel cohort study found that increases in depressive symptoms in adolescence persisted into young adulthood, suggesting the need for primary prevention and mental health resources during the adolescent years.

Dataset Information

Bidirectional associations between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms from adolescence through early adulthood.

Publications

Bidirectional associations between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms from adolescence through early adulthood.

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