Youth adversity and trajectories of depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescence in the context of intersectionality

AbstractBackground: Youth adversity is associated with persistence of depression and anxiety symptoms over time. Evidence suggests that this association may be greater for disadvantaged societal groups (such as females) compared with advantaged groups (e.g., males). However, given that persistent symptoms are observed across a range of disadvantaged groups (e.g., low compared with high socio-economic status [SES]), the intersection of individual characteristics may be an important moderator of inequality. Methods: Data from HeadStart Cornwall (N=5,336) was used to assess the effect of youth adversity on symptoms of depression and anxiety, measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire emotional problems subscale, at three time-points in 11-14-year-olds. Latent trajectories and regression coefficients were estimated for eight intersectionality profiles (based on gender, SES, and hyperactivity/inattention) within a multiple group structural equation model. Compound parameters were specified to estimate the moderating effects of the individual characteristics and their intersections. Results: Youth adversity, compared with an absence of such, was associated with higher average depression and anxiety symptoms at baseline (11-12-years), across all intersectionality profiles. The magnitude of the effect of youth adversity differed across profiles, and there was weak evidence to suggest that the effect of youth adversity on the average rate of change in depression and anxiety symptoms was moderated by the intersection of, i) gender and SES, and ii) gender, SES, and hyperactivity/inattention. Conclusions: Youth adversity has detrimental effects on the development of depression and anxiety symptoms that pervade across intersectionality profiles: The extent to which these effects are moderated by intersectionality are discussed in terms of operational factors and sample size. The current results provide a platform for further research, which is needed to determine whether intersectionality is important in moderating the effect of youth adversity on the development of depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescence.