Abstract
There are several limitations of the scientific literature on the linkage between positive youth development (PYD) attributes and adolescent psychological morbidity. First, longitudinal studies in the field are limited. Second, few studies have used validated PYD measures to explore the related issues. Third, few studies have used large samples. Fourth, limited studies have been conducted in mainland China. In this study, we conducted a longitudinal study using two waves of data collected from 2648 junior high school students in mainland China. In each wave, participants responded to a validated PYD scale (Chinese Positive Youth Development Scale: CPYDS) and other measures of well-being, including the 20-item Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). After controlling for the background demographic variables, different measures of CPYDS (cognitive–behavioral competence, prosocial attributes, general positive youth development qualities, positive identity, and overall PYD qualities) were negatively associated with CES-D scores in Wave 1 and Wave 2. Longitudinal analyses also revealed that PYD measures in Wave 1 negatively predicted Wave 2 depression scores and the changes over time. The present findings highlight the protective role of PYD attributes in protecting adolescents from depression.
Highlights
Adolescent developmental issues and mental health problems have drawn much attention from the public and helping professionals
As in Wave 1, we found that different positive youth development (PYD) measures were negatively associated with adolescent depression in Wave 2, including Cognitive-Behavioral Competence (CBC) (r = −0.34, p < 0.001), PA (r = −0.31, p < 0.001), GPYD (r = −0.46, p < 0.001), PIT (r = −0.42, p < 0.001), and total PYD score for all items (TPYD) scores (r = −0.45, p < 0.001)
The present study contributes to the field by examining the relationships between PYD attributes and adolescent depression using two-wave longitudinal data in the Chinese context
Summary
Adolescent developmental issues and mental health problems have drawn much attention from the public and helping professionals. Existing research has revealed some prominent adolescent mental health issues, including depression, suicide, and anxiety-related problems [1]. Lim et al.’s meta-analysis, involving 686,672 children and adolescents, revealed that the aggregate lifetime and. 12-month prevalence rates of suicide attempts, suicidal plans, suicidal ideation, non-suicidal self-injury, and deliberate self-harm were 4.5%, 7.5%, 14.2%, 19.5%, and 14.2% in adolescents, respectively [2]. UNICEF warned that one-fifth of adolescents in the world have mental health problems, which could hinder adolescent adjustment and create unfavorable consequences in adulthood [6]. The WHO indicated that mental health problems have contributed to around 16% of the disease and injury in adolescents aged between 10 and 19 [7]
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