This research will explore the relationships among depressive symptoms, problem drinking and gender over time among adolescents.
The specific aims are to: 1 ) examine the occurrence and temporal progression of depressive symptoms among adolescents over time, with special attention to gender differences; 2) examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and problem drinking over time; 3) explore contingencies between gender and both depressive symptoms and problem drinking; and, 4) ascertain whether the connections between depressive symptoms, problem drinking and gender are contingent upon several key sociodemographic, interpersonal and environmental characteristics. The proposed study will use existing data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health Study (Add Health). Add Health consists of a nationally representative school-based sample of adolescents (N=20745) first interviewed during the 1994-1995 school year and reassessed in 1995-1996, yielding an analytic sample of N=14,736 adolescents at two time-points. The inherent strength of these data rests in its large, nationally representative sample, which has strong external validity, permitting robust generalizability with regards to empirical findings as well as extensive subgroup analyses. Additionally, Add Health involved data collection from several sources to evaluate both individual and contextual-level characteristics. These data are especially suitable for the current analysis because of the longitudinal, prospective design. Assessments of the same individuals at multiple time points enables the more precise examination of the development of symptomatology, as well as of the nature of the association between of depressive symptoms and problem drinking. The primary method of analysis at this juncture will be multiple and logistic regression. As the researcher's professional development progresses, use of the more complex forms of analysis such as structural equation modeling and hierarchical linear modeling will be explored.
| Botticello, Amanda L; Chen, Yuying; Cao, Yue et al. (2011) Do communities matter after rehabilitation? The effect of socioeconomic and urban stratification on well-being after spinal cord injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 92:464-71 |
| Botticello, Amanda L (2009) School contextual influences on the risk for adolescent alcohol misuse. Am J Community Psychol 43:85-97 |
| Botticello, Amanda L (2009) A Multilevel Analysis of Gender Differences in Psychological Distress Over Time. J Res Adolesc 19:217-247 |
