Feeling Not Wanted/Loved and Depression: Does Gender Matter?

Depression affects over 17 million American adults yearly and has been identified as the leading cause of disability in people between the ages of 15 and 44 years. There is evidence that feeling neglect or a lack of parental attachment during childhood is associated with depression. One construct that has been overlooked is love from a parent. The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between individuals who felt not wanted/loved during adolescence and lifetime depression and to examine this association by gender. We examined 5114 participants aged 24–32 years at Wave IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) public use dataset. We used logistic regression analysis to determine the association between an individual feeling not wanted/loved by their parent/caregiver prior to age 18, covariates, and lifetime depression. We then stratified by gender and ran logistic models for both men and women separately. Overall, 16.2% ( n = 827) reported lifetime depression diagnosis, while 16.5% of the participants reported feeling not wanted/loved “often,” while 29.8% reported it as “sometimes.” Feeling not wanted/loved “often” was associated with higher odds of depression (AOR = 3.00; 95% CI, 2.45–3.66; p < .001) versus “sometimes” (AOR = 1.59; 95% CI, 1.31–1.90; p < .001). When stratified by gender, feeling not loved/wanted was associated with depression among both men (AOR = 3.70; 95% CI, 2.60–5.25; p < .001) and women (AOR = 2.73; 95% CI, 2.13–3.48; p < .001). Feeling not loved or wanted by a parent/caregiver during adolescence has serious implications, for both men and women. Future studies should further examine this construct and identify family-based interventions that focus on parent/caregiver and child relationships.

Arts and cultural engagement, reportedly antisocial or criminalized behaviors, and potential mediators in two longitudinal cohorts of adolescents

Reportedly antisocial or criminalized behaviors (RACBs; those previously and problematically termed as “delinquent”) in adolescence are important for health and wellbeing. We investigated whether arts and cultural engagement reduced RACBs in mid- to late adolescence. We used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n=10,610) and the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (n=15,214). Using structural equation modelling, we also explored mechanisms that might link arts and cultural engagement to RACBs. More arts and cultural engagement was associated with fewer RACBs, higher self-control scores, and fewer positive perceptions of RACBs concurrently and one to two years later. Arts and cultural engagement may provide opportunities for adolescents to realize positive developmental outcomes, reducing their risk of RACBs.

Race, Adolescent Socioeconomic Status, and Lifetime Non-Medical Use of Prescription Painkillers: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health

The misuse of prescription painkillers is a major contributor to the ongoing drug overdose epidemic. This study investigated variability in non-medical use of prescription painkillers (NMUPP) by race and early-life socioeconomic status (SES) in a sample now at increased risk for opioid overdose. Data from two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 11,602) were used to calculate prevalence of reported NMUPP by Wave 4 (2008; mean age 28), and to assess variation by race and by equivalized household family income at Wave 1 (1994/5). Predicted values for prevalence of NMUPP were modelled, adjusting for age, sex, parental education, and region. Race and SES in adolescence were associated with later reported NMUPP. A gradient was seen in prevalence by SES (adjusted: family income quartile 1 = 13.3%; quartile 2 = 13.8%; quartile 3 = 14.8%; quartile 4 = 16.0%; trend p-value = 0.007). Prevalence was higher among males. Racial/ethnic differences in prevalence were seen (non-Hispanic white (NHW) = 18.5%; non-Hispanic black (NHB) = 5.8%; Hispanic = 10.5%; Other = 10.0%). SES differences were less pronounced upon stratification, with trend tests significant only among females (p = 0.004), and marginally significant among Hispanic males (p = 0.06). Early-life SES was associated with reported lifetime NMUPP: the higher the family income in adolescence, the greater the likelihood of NMUPP by young adulthood. Variations in NMUPP by income paled in comparison with racial/ethnic differences. Results point to a possible long-enduring association between SES and NMUPP, and a need to examine underlying mechanisms.

Classroom Contexts, Student Mindsets, and (In)Equity in Computer Science: A National Longitudinal Study

The underrepresentation of women and racial minorities in computer science presents a challenge for training the next generation of scientists. The decision to pursue a professional and academic career in computing can be influenced by early experiences and mindsets in K-12 learning environments. However, we have a limited understanding of how student mindsets influence engagement in a variety of classroom contexts during high school computer science classes--one of the early gateways to computer science. We conducted a national longitudinal study of students in advanced placement computer science courses to understand how student mindsets impact engagement, how their mindsets evolve over time, and how contextual factors at the teacher, classroom, and school level can influence these temporal dynamics. We find that mindsets differentially impact engagement and vary by students’ gender and status of racial underrepresentation. Some mindsets change over time due to course feedback, and these changes affect engagement and performance in different ways. Class characteristics (e.g., class size and female proportion) and school characteristics (e.g., proportion of students who are eligible for free lunch and proportion of racially underrepresented students) moderate the effect of mindsets on student outcomes. We discuss the implications of these findings for learning theories and equity-focused educational practices.

Rising nonmarital first childbearing among college-educated women: Evidence from three national studies

Levels of nonmarital first childbearing are assessed using recent administrations of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 Cohort; the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health; and the National Survey of Family Growth. Results confirm that the higher a woman’s educational attainment, the less likely she is to be unmarried at the time of her first birth. A comparison over time shows increases in nonmarital first childbearing at every educational level, with the largest percentage increase occurring among women with college degrees at the BA or BS level or higher. This article projects that 18 to 27% of college-educated women now in their thirties who have a first birth will be unmarried at the time. In addition, among all women who are unmarried at first birth, women with college degrees are more likely to be married at the time of their second birth, and, in a majority of cases, the other parent of the two children was the same person. A growing proportion of well-educated women, and their partners, may therefore be pursuing a family formation strategy that proceeds directly to a first birth, and then proceeds, at a later point, to marriage, followed by a second birth. Possible reasons for the increase in nonmarital first births among the college-educated include the stagnation of the college wage premium; the rise in student debt; decreasing selectivity; and the growing acceptability of childbearing within cohabiting unions, which have become a common setting for nonmarital childbearing, and among single parents.

Psychotropic prescribing for English care home residents with dementia compared with national guidance: findings from the MARQUE national longitudinal study

Background Despite policy pressure and concerns regarding the use of antipsychotics and benzodiazepines, many care home residents with dementia are prescribed psychotropic medication, often off licence. This is the first large study to report psychotropic prescribing and ‘as required’ administration patterns in English care homes. Aims To explore the prevalence and associates of psychotropic prescription in care home residents with dementia and compare the results with national guidance. Method We collected data in a longitudinal cohort study of residents with diagnosed or probable dementia in 86 care homes in England in 2014–2016. We reported the prevalence of psychotropic (antipsychotics, anxiolytics/hypnotics, antidepressants) prescriptions and drug receipt. We explored the associations between resident factors (sociodemographic, agitation [Cohen–Mansfield Agitation Inventory], dementia severity [Clinical Dementia Rating]) and care home factors (type, ownership, size, dementia registration/specialism, quality rating) in prescription and ‘as required’ administration, using multilevel regression models. Results We analysed data from 1425 residents. At baseline, 822 residents (57.7%, 95% CI: 55.1–60.2) were prescribed a psychotropic drug, 310 residents (21.8% 95% CI: 19.7–24.0) were prescribed an anxiolytic/hypnotic, 232 (94.3%, 95% CI: 90.6–96.6) were prescribed one antipsychotic and 14 (5.7%, 95% CI: 3.4–9.4) were prescribed two antipsychotics. The median prescription duration during the study was 1 year. Residents with clinically significant agitation were prescribed more antipsychotics (odds ratio [OR] = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.64–2.45) and anxiolytics/hypnotics (OR = 2.81, 95% CI: 2.31–3.40). Conclusions Antipsychotics and anxiolytics/hypnotics are more commonly prescribed for people with dementia in care homes than in the community, and prescribing may not reflect guidelines. Policies which advocate reduced use of psychotropics should better support psychosocial interventions.

Resilience and Depression in Military Service: Evidence From the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health)

ABSTRACT Introduction Research indicates that military service involves stressors that may be related to depression. However, the military provides financial, educational, psychological, and social advantages that may help to mitigate the effects of service-related stressors. Because most prior research was based on cross-sectional data or small clinical samples, we explored individual-level trajectories of depression over time. Methods Data came from the restricted-use version of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) in four survey waves from 1994 to 2008, with a total of 1,112 service members, of whom 231 were female, and a total sample size of 13,544. Statistical estimation employed the multilevel growth curve modeling approach. Results Individuals who later served in the military had lower rates of depression than their civilian counterparts at year 1 of the study, and rates of depression decreased consistently for both groups throughout the study. Service members ended up with the same level of depression compared to civilians (year 14). Sex, race and parental education were unrelated to depression, and no evidence was found for the hypothesis that the military functions as a “bridging environment” to reduce depression by providing a more attractive alternative compared to civilian life. Conclusions Individuals who were less depressed at year 1 of the study were more likely to enlist into the military. While both civilians and service members displayed decreasing depression over the years of the study, military members had less decrease in depression over time beginning at a lower level of depression than civilian. Taken together, the minor differences in depression between the civilian and military samples and the lower level of depression among military members at the beginning of the study suggest that military service selects against higher levels of depression at the start of service and, given the known stressors related to the military, membership in the service may be associated with resilience to depression.