Abstract
Adolescent psychological problems have often been associated with subsequent depression that contributes to the global disease burden. We propose initial levels of psychological distress and subsequent changes over the period between late adolescence and young adulthood are partly a consequence of adolescent self-esteem and parental distress, both of which may be at least as influential as teen involvement in romantic and sexual relationships. Data were from longitudinal surveys of Taiwanese adolescents at age 16 with three follow-ups over a 6-year time period (n = 2314). Psychological distress was assessed by Symptom Checklist-90 Revised. Growth curve models were used to predict the relationships between adolescent self-esteem, parental distress, and trajectories of adolescent distress, after taking early involvement in romantic and sexual relationships, risky behaviors, and influence of peers, school, and family into account. After a wide range of adjustments, the multivariate analyses indicated that positive self-esteem was associated with diminished initial levels of psychological distress in adolescents (β = −0.04, p < 0.05) and also ameliorates their psychological distress over time (β = −0.01, p < 0.01). In contrast, parental distress was not significantly associated with initial measurement of adolescent distress, but parental distress did exacerbate adolescent distress over time (β = 0.01, p < 0.001). In addition, living with both biological parents and having a high level of family cohesion were associated with lower levels of psychological distress. Early involvement in sexual and romantic relationships and risky behaviors of adolescents and their close friends were strongly related to higher levels of psychological distress. These results underscore the importance of an integrated psychosocial perspective. Policies and educational interventions aimed at promoting adolescent psychological well-being are recommended.
Published Version
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