Depressive symptoms at 13 years as predictors of depression in older adolescents: a prospective 4-year follow-up study in a nonclinical population

Abstract

Depression is the most important source of disability in adolescents, partially due to its recurrence. There is a lack of studies on population-based samples investigating the continuity of depressive symptoms during adolescence. This study evaluates depressive symptoms at early adolescence as predictors of depressive symptoms later in adolescence. Urban adolescents born in 1990 and enrolled in schools of Porto, Portugal, in 2003-2004 (EPITeen study) were evaluated at 13 and 17 years (n = 1106, 55.9% females), and completed a questionnaire comprising health behaviors and Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) to assess depressive symptoms. A questionnaire on socio-demographic and clinical characteristics was self-reported. Regression coefficients (β) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using simple linear regression. The prevalence of adolescents with depressive symptoms above the cut-off (BDI-II > 13) was 11.9% at 13 years (girls: 17.1%; boys: 5.3%) and 10.8% at 17 years (girls: 14.7%; boys: 5.7%). Almost 6% of girls and 2% of boys had BDI-II > 13 at both assessments, and 35% of girls and boys with BDI-II > 13 at baseline also had BDI-II > 13 at follow-up. For both genders, depressive symptoms at age 13 were independently associated with depressive symptoms at age 17 (girls: β = 0.35, 95% CI 0.28-0.42; boys: β = 0.37, 95% CI 0.30-0.44). Depressive symptoms at age 13 were an independent predictive factor for adolescents' depressive symptoms at age 17. The prevalence of adolescents with BDI-II > 13 was higher in females, but the strength of this association was similar in both genders, highlighting the heavy burden of depressive symptoms already at an early age, among girls and boys.

Patterns of Eating Behavior among 13-Year-Old Adolescents and Associated Factors: Findings from the Generation XXI Birth Cohort

“…In the current study, the prevalence of adolescents with mild to severe depressive symptoms was 15%, higher than the frequency observed in another Portuguese study [61], which reported 11.9% among adolescents with the same age. In addition, we found that adolescents with higher scores on BDI-II had higher odds of belonging to the "Picky eating" and, especially, "Emotional eating" and "Food attractiveness" patterns.…”

Uso De Internet Y Su Relación Con Depresión, Insomnio Y Autoestima en Estudiantes De Bachillerato, Quito

“…Por otro lado, la prevalencia global de depresión en los estudiantes fue del 62 % de ellos el 35,4 % tuvieron depresión leve, siendo el sexo femenino el más afectado (52,9 %) vs el sexo masculino (47,1 %), prevalencia menor a la reportada en adolescentes de 16 a 17 años de Túnez, cuya tasa fue del 75,9 % y superior a investigaciones internacionales realizadas en estudiantes de secundaria y universitarios de 13 a 23 años en Tailandia, China, Portugal, Brasil, Estados Unidos, México y Chile, donde se encontró valores entre el 1,06 % y 28,8 % (28,(42)(43)(44)(45)(46). A nivel nacional estudios previos realizados en Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca y Zamora reportaron prevalencias menores entre el 14,8 % y 40,2 % (6, 35,[47][48][49].…”

Depressive symptoms and all-cause mortality among middle-aged and older people in China and associations with chronic diseases

“…The persistence and exacerbation of depressive symptoms is not only an important symptomatic criterion for the diagnosis of depression ( 14 ), but these symptoms are important causes of deterioration in physical health ( 15 , 16 ), impact on immune function ( 17 , 18 ), increasing the risk of chronic disease ( 19 , 20 ), and self-injurious suicidal behavior ( 21 , 22 ). There is a long-term and complex relationship between depressive symptoms, mortality risk, and life expectancy ( 23 , 24 ).…”