Concurrent and Longitudinal Correlates of Depressive Symptoms Among Low-Income, Urban, African American Children

Abstract

Examined the concurrent and longitudinal correlates of depressive symptoms among a sample (N = 129) of urban African American children across 2 assessments separated by 1 year. Measures of psychosocial functioning included mother-reported social and cognitive competence, externalizing and attention problems, and final grades. Results revealed significant correlations among depressive symptoms and several measures of concurrent psychosocial functioning, including mother-reported cognitive and social competence, aggressive behavior, and attention problems. Significant longitudinal relations were revealed among depressive symptoms at Time 1 and aggressive behavior, attention problems, and grades at Time 2. As a more conservative test of the relations among depressive symptoms and subsequent psychosocial functioning, hierarchical multiple-regression analyses were conducted. Regression analyses revealed that depressive symptoms at Time 1 predicted change in grades and mother-reported cognitive competence from Time 1 to Time 2.