ERIC Number: EJ895798
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Jul
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0090-4392
EISSN: N/A
Violence Exposure and Depressive Symptoms among Adolescents and Young Adults Disconnected from School and Work
Mendelson, Tamar; Turner, Alezandria K.; Tandon, S. Darius
Journal of Community Psychology, v38 n5 p607-621 Jul 2010
The psychological effects of exposure to different types of violence among urban adolescents and young adults are not yet well understood. This study investigated exposure to neighborhood violence, relationship violence, and forced sex among 677 urban African Americans aged 16-23 enrolled at an employment and training center. We assessed prevalence of each violence exposure type, the relation of each exposure type to depressive symptoms, and the extent to which exposure to multiple violence types is additively associated with depressive symptoms. Potential gender differences were also explored. Nearly 60% of our sample reported violence exposure, with males reporting more neighborhood violence and females reporting more forced sex. For both genders, each violence exposure domain was independently associated with depressive symptoms, and exposures in multiple domains had an additive effect on depressive symptom levels. These findings have implications for developing strategies to improve mental health outcomes among urban adolescents and young adults. (Contains 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Neighborhoods, Young Adults, Adolescents, Gender Differences, Depression (Psychology), Violence, Mental Health, Urban Areas, Sexual Abuse, African Americans, Incidence, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Correlation
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A