Poster #86 - Examining Patterns of Depressive Symptoms Among Black Youth: A Latent Profile Analysis

• In Event: Poster Session 08

Abstract

From 2011 to 2016, the prevalence of depression among adolescents increased from 8.3% to 12.9% with approximately 13 million having experienced a major depressive episode in 2014 (Lu, 2019; Travers & Mahalik, 2019). Black youth in particular are an understudied and underrepresented population that share racial and developmental experiences that contribute as risk factors for depression. In 2018, depressive episodes experienced among Black youth, ages 12-17, rose from 9% to 10.3% with almost 7% experiencing severe impairment (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2020).

Symptom expression of depression among Black youth has elicited mixed findings. Some studies have illustrated more aggression and irritability in symptom expression of depression than European American youth. (Choi & Park, 2006; McLaughlin et al., 2007). However, other studies have suggested that Black youth are more likely to experience somatic symptoms as expressions of depression rather than other affective symptoms (Reynolds et al., 2001). One limitation of this literature is its use of race-comparative research to understand depressive symptoms among Black youth. Comparative research that examines differences in depression across racial/ethnic groups has provided important information about racial/ethnic disparities, but research must move beyond documenting group differences to understanding the heterogeneity within Black adolescents (Robinson et al., 2022; Volpe et al., 2022). Identification of distinct groups of Black adolescents based on levels and domains of depressive symptoms can provide information on the patterns of depressive symptoms within an understudied group.

As such, the current study utilized latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify distinct profiles of depressive symptoms among Black adolescents. Participants were 403 6th, 7th, and 8th grade African American students (mean age=12.63, SD=0.99; 54% female) from three schools in a large metropolitan area. Depressive symptoms were measured with the four subscales of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS-2: Reynolds, 2002): anhedonia, dysphoric mood, negative self-evaluation, and somatic complaints.

Results of latent profile analyses (LPA) with the four subscales showed that a 3-profile model was the best solution to the data, as demonstrated by a smaller BIC value for the 3-class solution and the BLRT indicating that the 3-profile model provided significantly better fit to the data than the 2- profile solution, but that the 4-profile model did not perform better than the 3- profile model (Table 1). Results revealed a high depressive/average anhedonia profile (13.6%) with high levels of all symptoms, but average levels of anhedonia; a somatic complaints profile (41.4%), with average levels of all symptoms, but above average levels of somatic complaints; and a low depressive profile (44.9%), with below average scores on all symptoms. See Figure 1. Girls were more likely than boys to be in the somatic complaints profile, Χ2(2, N = 403) = 8.28, p = .016. There were no differences between the profiles on participant age. Additional analyses will compare profiles on sociocultural risk factors. Evaluation of depressive symptom patterns among Black youth will further knowledge on best fit assessment tools for this population as well as improve our intervention strategies for Black youth.

Author

• Jasmine Alli, Texas A&M University - College Station
  Presenting Author