The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #61405

Amanda Botticello, MPH, Department of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, 650 Charles E. Young Drive South, Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, 310-267-2490, abottice@ucla.edu

This study examines the progression over time of two conditions, depressive symptoms and heavy drinking, among adolescents. Adolescent distress often precedes adult dysfunction, making this an opportune age to study emergent risk factors for the development of mental illness. Although comorbidity is often viewed as a design complication in studying depression, the observation that comorbidity is more the rule than the exception suggests that the factors that elicit depressive symptoms may be better understood in the context of co-occurring conditions. This study involves a secondary analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health Study (Add Health), a nationally representative school-based sample of adolescents first interviewed in 1994-1995 and reassessed in 1995-1996 (N=14,736). Depressive symptoms are measured by a 7-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depressive Scale and heavy drinking is operationalized as daily alcohol consumption or consuming six or more drinks on a recent occasion. Increasing symptoms of depression over time are associated with becoming a heavy drinker, chronic heavy drinking, being female, and increasing age. Stratified analysis indicates that persistent heavy drinking predicts increasing symptoms of depression for girls, whereas age predicts increased symptoms for boys. The odds of becoming a heavy drinker increases over time for teens who are male, older, have increasing depressive symptoms, persistent depressive symptoms, and prior heavy alcohol use. Increasing age among males and chronic depressive symptoms among females escalate the odds of becoming a heavy drinker. This study reveals a gendered pattern of distress that intensifies over time.

Learning Objectives:

This research explores the relationship between depressive symptoms and heavy drinking using longitudinal survey data from a large nationally representative sample of adolescents. Session participants will be able to:
• Explain this relationship in terms of reciprocal effects that evolve over time.
• Understand the processes through which psychiatric vulnerabilities evolve, particularly comorbid conditions.
• Clarify gender and age trends in risk for increasing depressive symptoms and heavy alcohol use.
• List specific risk factors (e.g. socioeconomic status, race ethnicity and the school context) that may also impact the development, course, and remittance of emotional distress during adolescence.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Mental Health

Awards: The Kenneth Lutterman Award for Exemplary Student Papers in Mental Health - Winner

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.