Characteristics of Early Community Adversity, Social Resources, and Adolescent Long-Term Mental Health

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2015

School

Psychology

Abstract

This study examined early life community characteristics to predict mental health from adolescence to adulthood. Confirmatory factor and latent growth analyses were conducted with 1,796 participants from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health spanning adolescence (Wave 1) through early adulthood (Wave 4). Analyses modeled community structural adversity and social resources as predictors of depressive symptoms trajectories via indirect effects of parent mental health and parent-child relationships. Community connectedness and integration were protective factors for long-term mental health via parental happiness and positive parent-child relationships. Findings add to the body of work distinguishing structural community characteristics from social characteristics, specifying them as two simultaneous dimensions and identifying social resources as early life factors that provide long-term protection.

Publication Title

Journal of Community Psychology

Volume

43

Issue

2

First Page

125

Last Page

141

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