Adolescent Depressive Symptoms as Predictors of Adult Depression: Moodiness or Mood Disorder?
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The authors' goal was to examine the relationship between subclinical depressive symptoms in adolescence and major depressive episodes in adulthood. METHOD: An epidemiologic sample of 776 young people received psychiatric assessments in 1983, 1985, and 1992. Among adolescents not meeting criteria for major depression, the authors estimated the magnitude of the association between subclinical adolescent depressive symptoms and adult major depression. RESULTS: Symptoms of major depression in adolescence strongly predicted an adult episode of major depression: having depressive symptoms more than two-standard-deviations above the mean in number predicted a two-fold to three-fold greater risk for an adult major depressive episode. CONCLUSIONS: Symptoms of depression in adolescence strongly predict an episode of major depression in adulthood, even among adolescents without major depression.
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Experiences of depressive and anxiety symptoms in childhood and adolescence are associated with an elevated risk of poor mental health in adulthood.
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- Authors
- Pine, D. S., Cohen, E., Cohen, P., & Brook, J.
- Affiliations
- New York State Psychiatric Institute (US)
- ORCID
- Pine, Daniel S.
- Venue
- American Journal of Psychiatry
- Published
- 1999-01-01
- Volume
- 156
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 133-135
- ISSN
- 0002-953X (ISSN-L)
- 1535-7228
- OpenAlex
- W2119664141
- Cited by
- 619
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 32 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 23 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 34 · 2014: 43 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 23
- FWCI
- 14.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH-36971, R01MH036971)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA 03188, R01DA003188, DA00244)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Mental Health Research Topics
- Keywords
- adolescent depressive symptoms, subthreshold depression, major depressive episode, adult depression, depression risk prediction, mood disorders, moodiness, longitudinal follow-up
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Psychology, Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Child, Depression, Depressive Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, New York, Probability, Regression Analysis, Sampling Studies
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