Adolescent Protective Contexts for Depressive Symptoms in Emerging Adulthood by Race and Ethnicity

• In Event: 3581 - Section on Sociology of Children and Youth Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 05. Children, Youth, and Mental Health

Abstract

Mental health disparities among emerging adults are higher among racial and ethnic minorities. Many studies have evidenced associations between school connectedness, parent-child relationships, and depressive symptoms by race and ethnicity in adolescence. However, assessing the interaction of school connectedness and parent-child relationships from adolescence to emerging adulthood is unknown. Data from Waves I-III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were used to examine how school connectedness and parent-child relationships were associated with depressive symptoms from adolescence to emerging adulthood, and variations across race and ethnicity. Maternal warmth in adolescence was associated with decreased depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood among all respondents. Perceiving that the teacher cared and interactions of school connectedness and parent-child relationships in adolescence were associated with decreased depressive symptoms for Black emerging adults. Among Hispanics and Asians, however, school characteristics in adolescence were associated with depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood.

Author

• Xing Zhang, Cornell University