NCJ Number
225177
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 37 Issue: 10 Dated: November 2008 Pages: 1242-1256
Date Published
November 2008
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study examined adolescent growth in three arenas of development--emotional distress, alcohol, and grades.
Abstract
The study found that while mean levels in all three dimensions examined (drinking, depressive affect, and academic achievement) increased over time, distinct developmental patterns were observed, especially in drinking and depression. For example, more drinking occasions--a social activity for most teens--may help assuage some teens’ emotional distress, especially among girls. These patterns also suggest a synergistic relationship between the social and psychological arenas of development. It was noted that, contrary to expectation, higher freshman depressive affect was associated with a significantly sharper increase in grade point average (GPA) over time for girls. This study of the adolescent life course proposes that substantial maturation occurs within three intertwined arenas of development: the social, the psychological, and the normative attainment. Further, each arena may be linked, respectively, to three youth problem areas of concern: drinking, depressive affect, and academic achievement. The study addressed two research goals: an estimation of each dimension’s unique developmental trajectory across high school and the modeling of the dimensions together in order to assess their reciprocal influences. Data were derived from the use of latent growth curves and the Youth Development Study to track a panel of 856 teens from their freshman to senior year in high school. The sample consisted of 54.4 percent female and 45.6 percent male, over three quarters of which were non-Hispanic Whites and one quarter comprised of other races/ethnicities. Tables, figure, and references