The effects of high school completion and ethnicity on depression and self-worth in American youth: A causal-comparative study

Citation

Sanders, Fonda Faye (2018). The effects of high school completion and ethnicity on depression and self-worth in American youth: A causal-comparative study.

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to investigate the effects of high school completion and ethnicity on depression and self-worth. The study was conducted using secondary data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, for a sample of 4001 youth of which 93.9% graduated from high school. The ethnic distribution in the sample was 65.4% Caucasian, 24.4% African American, and 10.3% Latino. The study was conducted within the framework of the self-worth theory. The first research question addressed the main effects of high school completion on self-worth, measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and depression, measured with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The MANOVA analysis identified a statistically significant effect of high school completion status on self-worth, F(1, 3995) = 10.348, p = 0.001. The second research question addressed the main effects of ethnicity on self-worth and depression. The MANOVA results showed a statistically significant effect of ethnicity on self-worth, F(2, 3995) = 5.417, p = 0.004. The third research questions addressed the interactive effects of ethnicity and high school completion on self-worth and depression. The MANOVA results found no statistically significant interactive effects of ethnicity and high school completion on the two dependent variables, F(4, 7990) = 0.246, p = 0.912, Pillai’s Trace < 0.001. Graduates reported statistically significant higher self-worth than participants who disd not finish high school. This finding provides support to the self-worth theory.

URL

http://libproxy.lib.unc.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/2027315086?accountid=14244

Keyword(s)

Education Causal-comparative study Depression High school dropouts Self-worth Educational leadership Educational psychology

Reference Type

Thesis/Dissertation

Book Title

Education

Author(s)

Sanders, Fonda Faye

Series Author(s)

Mansur, Fatima

Year Published

2018

Volume Number

10748414

Pages

154

Publisher

Grand Canyon University

City of Publication

Phoenix, Arizona

ISSN/ISBN

9780355780482

DOI

9780355780482

Reference ID

8468