Positive youth development as a protective factor for adolescents at risk for depression and alcohol use

Abstract

Female adolescents are at greater risk for depression than males, and highschool students in upper grades use alcohol at higher rates than students in lower grades. We hypothesized that attributes reflecting adaptive development addressed in the Positive Youth Development model would moderate gender differences in depressive symptoms, and grade differences in alcohol use, in a sample of adolescents. Six-hundred seventy highschool adolescents (M age = 16.25 years, SD = 1.31, range 14–19) completed measures assessing depression, alcohol use, and positive youth development (PYD). Results indicated that higher levels of PYD contributed to lower depression for all adolescents, but was especially protective for female adolescents; and higher levels of PYD contributed to lower alcohol use for all adolescents, but was especially protective for adolescents in upper grades. Therefore, in our study, PYD acted as a buffer for adolescents who may be at-risk for depression and substance abuse. Future work needs to examine additional populations and problems, as well as test prevention efforts and interventions that can integrate these protective factors.