Are you still bringing me down? Romantic involvement and depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood

Citation

Olson, Julie Skalamera & Crosnoe, Robert (2017). Are you still bringing me down? Romantic involvement and depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. vol. 58 (1) pp. 102-115

Abstract

Romantic involvement and mental health are dynamically linked, but this interplay can vary across the life course in ways that speak to the social and psychological underpinnings of healthy development. To explore this variation, this study examined how romantic involvement was associated with trajectories of depressive symptomatology across the transition between adolescence and young adulthood. Growth mixture modeling of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health identified trajectories of depressive symptomatology as teens grew into their late 20s and early 30s (N = 8,712). Multinomial logistic techniques regressed these trajectories on adolescent and young adult romantic experiences. Adolescent dating was associated with increased depressive symptoms early on, particularly for girls, but this risk faded over time. For both boys and girls, trajectories of decreasing symptoms were associated with young adult unions but also the coupling of adolescent dating with young adult singlehood.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1177%2F0022146516684536

Keyword(s)

depressive symptoms

Reference Type

Journal Article

Journal Title

Journal of Health and Social Behavior

Author(s)

Olson, Julie Skalamera
Crosnoe, Robert

Year Published

2017

Volume Number

58

Issue Number

1

Pages

102-115

Edition

January 3, 2017

DOI

10.1177/0022146516684536

Reference ID

6840