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School contextual experiences and longitudinal changes in depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood
Author(s) -
Wickrama Thulitha,
Vazsonyi Alexander T.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.585
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1520-6629
pISSN - 0090-4392
DOI - 10.1002/jcop.20453
Subject(s) - disengagement theory , psychology , developmental psychology , context (archaeology) , depressive symptoms , poverty , adolescent health , ethnic group , longitudinal study , clinical psychology , medicine , gerontology , psychiatry , anxiety , paleontology , nursing , pathology , sociology , anthropology , economics , biology , economic growth
The current study examined the direct and multiplicative influences by adolescent school context experiences (disengagement and maltreatment) and contextual characteristics (school minority concentration and school aggregated family poverty) on changes in depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood. Adolescent experiences with maltreatment and school disengagement were positively associated with changes in depressive symptoms over time. In addition, the school disengagement effect was larger among Hispanic youth than African American or European American adolescents. The influence by maltreatment was significantly greater in minority‐concentrated school contexts. Final models that included cross‐level interaction terms explained approximately 10.54% of level 1 variance and 17.10% of level 2 variance (ICC=2%). Adolescent school experiences and being of Hispanic ethnic background exert continued developmental influences on changes in young adult depressive symptoms. Thus, school‐based health promotion programs need to consider school contextual effects on the subsequent development and wellbeing of youth. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.