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Cited by 81Youth Development and Social SupportService-Learning and Community EngagementChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Examining associations between civic engagement and depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood in a national U.S. sample

Wray-Lake, Laura, Shubert, Jennifer, Lin, Lin, Starr, Lisa R.·2019·Applied Developmental Science
DOI 10.1080/10888691.2017.1326825
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Abstract

Many scholars posit that engaging in civic actions enhances mental health, yet existing evidence is limited. To address gaps in the literature and advance understanding of benefits of civic engagement from adolescence to young adulthood, we estimated a longitudinal structural model to test bidirectional associations between civic engagement (i.e., voting, community engagement, political behaviors) and depressive symptoms using nationally representative longitudinal U.S. data. Adolescent and early young adulthood (EYA) depressive symptoms predicted decreases in later voting. Adolescent and EYA community engagement predicted decreases in later depressive symptoms. Analyses suggested that findings generalized across gender, age, socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and EYA social roles. Despite key limitations in measurement of civic engagement over time, results provide some support the notion that community engagement may have mental health benefits for youth, and that depression may reduce later civic engagement.

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  • The effect between social engagement and depressive symptoms was bidirectional: social engagement predicted decreases in depressive symptoms, and these symptoms predicted decreases in all measured forms of civic engagement.

    “Causality was further tested by Wray-Lake et al. ( 2019), who found that the effect between social engagement and depressive symp -toms was bidirectional, meaning that not only did social engagement predict decreases in depressive symptoms, but also these symptoms predicted decreases in all mea -sured forms of civic engagement (i.e., social engagement and conventional engagement).”

    From The Effect of Civic Engagement on Different Dimensions of Well-Being in Youth: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Wray-Lake et al., 2019

  • Conventional engagement (e.g., contributing money to a political party) was a positive predictor of depressive symptoms in American youth, but this was not true for voting.

    “On the other hand, Wray-Lake et al. ( 2019 ) supported conventional engagement (e.g., contributing money to a political party) as a positive predictor of depressive symptoms in a sample of American youth, but this was not true for voting, which was measured outside other conventional activities.”

    From The Effect of Civic Engagement on Different Dimensions of Well-Being in Youth: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Wray-Lake et al., 2019

  • More satisfied and healthy people are likelier to vote.

    “meaning that more satisfied and healthy people are likelier to vote”

    From The Effect of Civic Engagement on Different Dimensions of Well-Being in Youth: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Wray-Lake et al., 2019

  • The association between civic engagement and well-being can sometimes run in the opposite direction or be bidirectional.

    “the association between civic engagement and well-being can sometimes be in the opposite direction or bidirectional (WrayLake, 2019 )”

    From The Effect of Civic Engagement on Different Dimensions of Well-Being in Youth: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Wray-Lake, 2019

  • Results from cross-sectional studies are usually consistent with results from longitudinal research.

    “Although results from cross-sectional studies are usually consistent with results from longitudinal research”

    From The Effect of Civic Engagement on Different Dimensions of Well-Being in Youth: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Wray-Lake, 2019

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Authors
Wray-Lake, L., Shubert, J., Lin, L., & Starr, L. R.
Affiliations
  • University of California
  • University of Rochester (US)
  • Claremont Graduate University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Applied Developmental Science
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2017-06-30
Volume
23
Issue
2
Pages
119-131
ISSN
  • 1088-8691 (ISSN-L)
  • 1532-480X
DOI
10.1080/10888691.2017.1326825
OpenAlex
W2728848213
Cited by
81
References
100
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 1 · 2017: 1
FWCI
5.02
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Applied Developmental Science (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Youth Development and Social Support
  • Social Sciences › Education › Service-Learning and Community Engagement
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
citizen participation, depressive symptoms, adolescent depression, early adulthood, voting, community participation, political behavior, bidirectional relationship, mental health, gender differences, socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity

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