Title

Depression And Delinquency Covariation In An Accelerated Longitudinal Sample Of Adolescents

Keywords

acting out theory; adolescents; delinquency; depression; failure theory

Abstract

Objectives: The current study tested opposing predictions stemming from the failure and acting out theories of depression-delinquency covariation. Method: Participants included a nationwide longitudinal sample of adolescents (N = 3,604) ages 12 to 17. Competing models were tested with cohort-sequential latent growth curve modeling to determine whether depressive symptoms at age 12 (baseline) predicted concurrent and age-related changes in delinquent behavior, whether the opposite pattern was apparent (delinquency predicting depression), and whether initial levels of depression predict changes in delinquency significantly better than vice versa. Results: Early depressive symptoms predicted age-related changes in delinquent behavior significantly better than early delinquency predicted changes in depressive symptoms. In addition, the impact of gender on age-related changes in delinquent symptoms was mediated by gender differences in depressive symptom changes, indicating that depressive symptoms are a particularly salient risk factor for delinquent behavior in girls. Conclusion: Early depressive symptoms represent a significant risk factor for later delinquent behavior - especially for girls - and appear to be a better predictor of later delinquency than early delinquency is of later depression. These findings provide support for the acting out theory and contradict failure theory predictions. © 2011 American Psychological Association.

Publication Date

8-1-2011

Publication Title

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Volume

79

Issue

4

Number of Pages

458-469

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024108

Socpus ID

79961152072 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/79961152072

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