Cited by 328Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesMental Health Research Topics

Developmental Trajectories of Anxiety and Depression in Early Adolescence

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McLaughlin, Katie A., King, Kevin·2015·Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology

Abstract

Adolescence is a period of heightened vulnerability for the onset of internalizing psychopathology. Characterizing developmental patterns of symptom stability, progression, and co-occurrence is important in order to identify adolescents most at risk for persistent problems. We use latent growth curve modeling to characterize developmental trajectories of depressive symptoms and four classes of anxiety symptoms (GAD, physical symptoms, separation anxiety, and social anxiety) across early adolescence, prospective associations of depression and anxiety trajectories with one another, and variation in trajectories by gender. A diverse sample of early adolescents (N = 1,065) was assessed at three time points across a one-year period. All classes of anxiety symptoms declined across the study period and depressive symptoms remained stable. In between-individual analysis, adolescents with high levels of depressive symptoms experienced less decline over time in symptoms of physical, social, and separation anxiety. Consistent associations were observed between depression and anxiety symptom trajectories within-individuals over time, such that adolescents who experienced a higher level of a specific symptom type than would be expected given their overall symptom trajectory were more likely to experience a later deflection from their average trajectory in other symptoms. Within-individual deflections in GAD, physical, and social symptoms predicted later deflections in depressive symptoms, and deflections in depressive symptoms predicted later deflections in GAD and separation anxiety symptoms. Females had higher levels of symptoms than males, but no evidence was found for variation in symptom trajectories or their associations with one another by gender or by age.

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  • Adolescents and emerging adults must navigate an intense developmental stage, whilst managing high academic demands, during a period of increased risk for developing lifelong poor mental health.

    “These concerns are understandable, since adolescents and emerging adults must navigate an intense developmental stage, whilst managing high academic demands, during a period of increased risk for developing lifelong poor mental health [67,68].”

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Authors
McLaughlin, K. A., & King, K.
Affiliations
University of Washington (US)
Corresponding author
McLaughlin, Katie A.
Venue
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
Published
2014-07-06
Volume
43
Issue
2
Pages
311-323
ISSN
  • 0091-0627 (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-2835
OpenAlex
W2165193266
Cited by
327
References
82
Citations by year
2026: 32 · 2025: 46 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 43 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 5
FWCI
12.23
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of State
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (K01MH092526)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Mental Health Research Topics
Keywords
anxiety, depression, early adolescence, developmental trajectories, generalized anxiety disorder, somatic symptoms, separation anxiety, social anxiety, internalizing psychopathology, gender differences, symptom co-occurrence
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Anxiety, Anxiety, Separation, Depression, Female, Growth, Humans, Male, Phobic Disorders, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sex Characteristics, Socioeconomic Factors, Adolescent Development

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