Adolescent Depression: Integrating Research on Risk and Prevention to Advance the Field

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Adolescent depression is a major public health concern and rates of teen depression continue to increase. This highlights the critical need for early identification of risk factors for depression and a better understanding of how these risk factors develop over time. Advancing understanding of risk factors can help guide the development and evaluation of depression prevention programs that have the potential to reduce the substantial individual- and population-level burden associated with depression. All three papers in this symposium utilize data from a two-site prospective study that used an accelerated longitudinal cohort design with 680 youth starting in 3rd, 6th, and 9th grades who were assessed over the course of 3 years. The first two papers use latent growth curve modeling to characterize trajectories of well-established intrapersonal and interpersonal risk factors. The first paper models trajectories of rumination and highlights gender differences in these trajectories in early adolescence, but not in later adolescence. The second paper models trajectories of episodic stress and reveals different trajectories for interpersonal and non-interpersonal stressors. The third paper presents results from a two-site randomized controlled trial in which 204 adolescents receiving a depression prevention program are compared to a propensity-score-matched natural history control group of 204 adolescents from the abovementioned longitudinal cohort study. Results indicate large prevention effects on depression disorder onset. After the three presentations, the discussant will make summary comments about the importance of integrating research on risk factors and prevention to advance the field and reduce the public health burden of depression.

Sub Unit

• Developmental Psychopathology

Chair

• Jami Young, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Discussant

• Judy Garber, Vanderbilt University

Individual Presentations

• Gender Differences in Developmental Trajectories of Rumination from Late Childhood to Adolescence - Presenting Author: Tina Schweizer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Non-Presenting Author: Jami Young, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Non-Presenting Author: Benjamin Hankin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Trajectories of Interpersonal and Noninterpersonal Episodic Stress Across Childhood and Adolescence in Boys and Girls - Presenting Author: Erin Long, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Non-Presenting Author: Jami Young, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Non-Presenting Author: Benjamin Hankin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Reducing Depression and Anxiety during Adolescence: Prevention Effects Compared to a Natural History Control Group - Presenting Author: Jason Daniel Jones, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Non-Presenting Author: Benjamin Hankin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Non-Presenting Author: Robert Gallop, West Chester University; Non-Presenting Author: Dustin Haraden, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Non-Presenting Author: Marissa D. Sbrilli, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Non-Presenting Author: Paul Rohde, Oregon Research Institute; Non-Presenting Author: Judy Garber, Vanderbilt University; Non-Presenting Author: Jami Young, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia