School-Related Antecedents and Consequences of Depression in School (Poster 35)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Saturday 9:50 a.m.
  In Poster Session: Looking at Factors Affecting Stress and Resilience

Abstract

Adolescents spend most of their formative years in school, making it essential to consider when investigating depressive symptoms. In this study, we investigate school-related factors (conscientiousness, parental expectations, social inclusion) that might be associated with depressive symptoms and their association with school functioning (grades, test anxiety). The representative sample consisted of 1,874 12th-grade students from 93 classes. Data was collected at three time points with well-established self-report scales and students’ mean grades on the most recent tests. We found students to experience heightened depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were found to partially mediate the association of conscientiousness, social inclusion, and parental expectations with test anxiety; this was not true for grades. Directions for future research and implications are discussed.

Authors

• Marko Lüftenegger, Universität Wien

• Flora Fassl, University of Vienna

• Joy Muth, University of Vienna

• Maximilian Hofleitner, University of Vienna