Longitudinal Trajectory of Adolescent Exposure to Community Violence and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents and Young Adults: Understanding the Effect of Mental Health Service Usage

Citation

Chen, Wan-Yi; Corvo, Kenneth; Lee, Yookyong; & Hahm, Hyeouk Chris (2017). Longitudinal Trajectory of Adolescent Exposure to Community Violence and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents and Young Adults: Understanding the Effect of Mental Health Service Usage. Community Mental Health Journal. vol. 53 (1) pp. 39-52

Abstract

Research on the impact of exposure to community violence tends to define victimization as a single construct. This study differentiates between direct and indirect violence victimization in their association with mental health problems and mental health service use. This study includes 8947 individuals from four waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and examines (1) whether sub-types of adolescent victimization are linked to depressive symptoms; (2) whether adolescent victimization is linked with mental health service use; and (3) the role of mental health service use in attenuating symptoms arising from victimizations. Adolescents witnessing community violence were more likely to experience depressive symptoms during adolescence but not during their young adulthood; direct exposure to violence during adolescence does not predict depressive symptoms in adolescence but does in adulthood. Use of mental health service mediates report of depressive symptoms for adolescent witnessing community violence.

URL

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-016-0031-5

Keyword(s)

Adolescent and adult depressive symptoms Direct community violence exposure Use of mental health service Witnessing violence

Notes

1573-2789 Chen, Wan-Yi Corvo, Kenneth Lee, Yookyong Hahm, Hyeouk Chris Journal article Community Ment Health J. 2016 Jun 10.

Reference Type

Journal Article

Journal Title

Community Mental Health Journal

Author(s)

Chen, Wan-Yi
Corvo, Kenneth
Lee, Yookyong
Hahm, Hyeouk Chris

Year Published

2017

Volume Number

53

Issue Number

1

Pages

39-52

Edition

June 10, 2016

DOI

10.1007/s10597-016-0031-5

Reference ID

6808