Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Behind the Sadness of Teen Girls: A Retrospective Survey Analysis

Version 1 : Received: 2 February 2024 / Approved: 5 February 2024 / Online: 5 February 2024 (07:56:24 CET)

How to cite: Baser, O.; Alsaleh, S.; Zeng, Y.; Baser, I. Behind the Sadness of Teen Girls: A Retrospective Survey Analysis. Preprints 2024, 2024020233. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.0233.v1 Baser, O.; Alsaleh, S.; Zeng, Y.; Baser, I. Behind the Sadness of Teen Girls: A Retrospective Survey Analysis. Preprints 2024, 2024020233. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.0233.v1

Abstract

(1) Background: Since the pandemic, adolescent girls have increasingly faced mental health challenges. We examined prevalence trends and associated risk factors for depression among adolescent girls. 2) Methods: Data for girls aged 12 to 17 years (N=4346) from the 2021 cross-sectional National Survey on Drug Use and Health were analyzed. Factors associated with depression were examined using multiple regression analysis. (3) Results: Rates of severe depression were significantly higher (p<.001) in older girls (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.63, 1.61, those who did not have authoritative parents (AOR: 3.40), and those with negative school experiences (AOR: 4.03). Black and Asian/Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islanders were less likely to report severe depression than white girls. As previously reported, non-White girls were significantly less likely to receive treatment for depression (p<.05). Parents’ characteristics and school experiences had no effect on the likelihood of receiving mental health treatment. (4) Conclusion: Depression has become increasingly common among American adolescent girls, who are now three times as likely as adolescent boys to have had recent experiences with depression. Our results show that family structure, parenting style, and negative school experiences significantly contribute to the rate of depression and that treatment disparities exist with regard to race and ethnicity.

Keywords

depression; adolescent girls; National Survey on Drug Use and Health; pandemic

Subject

Public Health and Healthcare, Public Health and Health Services

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