Adolescents’ Symptoms of Depression and Social Network Integration: Differences by Gender and Substance Use Status

• In Event: 538 - Regular Session. Mental Health: Social Consequences

Abstract

This study examined whether symptoms of depression predict lower social network integration during adolescence, and whether using alcohol and drugs helps adolescents with depression become more socially integrated. Using eight waves of survey and friendship network data from a community sample of adolescents followed from 6th through 12th grades, we examined the within-person associations of depressive symptoms, cigarette, alcohol, and marijuana use, and the interaction of symptoms and substance use with multiple dimensions of social network status. During times when male adolescents had more depressive symptoms, they also had higher rates of social isolation, received fewer friendship nominations, and were less socially connected and socially prominent. There were no such associations among female adolescents. Substance use was not associated with social integration among males or females. We found no evidence that using substances reduced the harmful associations of depressive symptoms with social integration, and some evidence that it amplifies those associations among males.

Authors

• Sonja Elayne Siennick, Florida State University

• Mark Feinberg, Pennsylvania State University