A Longitudinal Analysis of Social Skills and Adolescent Depression: A Multivariate Latent Growth Approach

A Developmental Cascade Analysis of Peer Rejection, Depression, Anxiety, and Externalizing Problems from Childhood through Young Adulthood

The need to belong with peers is an essential component of development, and when individuals face peer rejection they often experience a host of negative outcomes, including internalizing and externalizing problems. There exists conflicting evidence whether peer rejection precedes, succeeds, or reciprocally influences psychopathology. This study used two longitudinal community samples recruited from Portuguese schools with data from middle childhood through early adulthood. The obtained data measured mean levels and assessed stability of peer rejection, and peer rejection's association with demographic and psychopathology variables concurrently across development. Analyses fit developmental cascade models of peer rejection, depression, anxiety, and externalizing problems. Mean peer rejection levels remained relatively stable over time, and peer rejection scores were mildly to moderately correlated at measurement points closer together but attenuated at timepoints that were further apart in time. At some timepoints, age, and parental SES and education were associated with peer rejection. Peer rejection was associated with depression, anxiety, and externalizing problems concurrently at each time point (r = ~0.3-0.5). Developmental cascade models supported depression and anxiety temporally preceding peer rejection and some reciprocal relationships between depression and peer rejection. Anxiety was a robust temporal precedent of psychopathology and peer rejection.

Depression and Its Associated Factors among Undergraduate Engineering Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Thailand

BACKGROUND

Depression is a common mental health problem that can affect everyone at different stages of development. Though the prevalence rate of depression among university students is rising, exploration among engineering students is limited. The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence of depression and its associated factors of among engineering students in Thailand.

METHODS

A total of 346 students participated in this study. All completed the outcome inventory depression subscale (OI-D) to evaluate the level and prevalence of depression. Other variables assessed included social skills, learning styles, relationship satisfaction, interpersonal difficulty, alcohol use, internet addiction, and neuroticism. Correlation and regression analyses were applied to test the association between sociodemographic and psychosocial factors and depression.

RESULTS

Of the 346 students with the mean age of 20.25 (SD, 1.33), 52.31% were male. Based on the OI-D, 35.3% of participants exhibited symptoms indicative of major depression. Multiple regression showed that only neuroticism, interpersonal difficulties, social skills, and self-esteem appeared to be the significant predictors of depression.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of depression among engineering students in Thailand was unexpectedly high compared with the prevalence of depression among engineering students in some other countries. Intra- and interpersonal factors were found to be associated with depression. Further study on identifying these risk factors should be encouraged.