Paper Depresion Y Adolescencia (Ingles) American Psychological Association,

Journal of Abnormal Psychology 2003, Vol. 112, No. 3, 353–363

Copyright 2003 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. 0021-843X/03/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/0021-843X.112.3.353

Psychosocial Functioning of Young Adults Who Have Experienced and Recovered From Major Depressive Disorder During Adolescence
Peter M. Lewinsohn, Paul Rohde, and John R. Seeley
Oregon Research Institute

DanielN. Klein
State University of New York at Stony Brook

Ian H. Gotlib
Stanford University

The authors examined whether adolescent major depressive disorder (MDD) was associated with difficulties in young adult functioning and whether differences would remain significant after accounting for nonmood disorder, MDD recurrence, functioning in adolescence, or current mood state. A total of 941participants were assessed twice during adolescence and at age 24. In unadjusted analyses, adolescent MDD was associated with most young adult functioning measures. Associations were not due to interactions with adolescent comorbidity, but differences in global functioning and mental health treatment appeared as a result of MDD recurrence. Accounting for levels of functioning in adolescence or forcurrent depression at age 24 eliminated the remaining associations. The implications of these findings for efforts to prevent MDD in adolescence are discussed.

Epidemiological studies indicate that the risk for developing major depressive disorder (MDD) begins to rise in adolescence and approach adult levels (e.g., Burke, Burke, Regier, & Rae, 1990; Sorenson, Rutter, & Aneshensel, 1991).Thus, the question of what happens to depressed adolescents after they become adults is a significant concern. Recent follow-up studies have indicated that many depressed adolescents experience recurrences in adulthood (Lewinsohn, Rohde, Klein, & Seeley, 1999; Rao, Hammen, & Daley, 1999; Weissman et al., 1999). In addition, there is a growing number of studies indicating that depressed adolescentsexhibit significant psychosocial deficits in adulthood, including impaired academic and occupational functioning, early childbearing, social difficulties and poor peer relationships, lowered life satisfaction, increased adversity, increased treatment utilization, criminal arrests, and reduced global functioning (e.g., Aronen & Soininen, 2000; Bardone, Moffitt, Caspi, & Dickson, 1996; Devine,Kempton, & Forehand, 1994; Fergusson & Woodward, 2002; Fleming, Boyle, & Offord, 1993; Gotlib & Hammen, 1992; Ham-

Editor’s Note. Judy Garber served as the action editor for this article.— TBB

Peter M. Lewinsohn, Paul Rohde, and John R. Seeley, Oregon Research Institute; Daniel N. Klein, Psychology Department, State University of New York at Stony Brook; Ian H. Gotlib, Department of Psychology,Stanford University. This research was supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health awards MH40501, MH50522, and MH52858 awarded to Peter M. Lewinsohn. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Peter M. Lewinsohn, Oregon Research Institute, 1715 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, Oregon 97403-1983. E-mail: pete@ori.org 353

men, 1991; Kandel & Davies, 1986; Kovacs,Akiskal, Gatsonis, & Parrone, 1994; Kovacs & Goldston, 1991; Puig-Antich et al., 1993; Rao et al., 1995; Rao, Weissman, Martin, & Hammond, 1993; Reinherz, Giaconia, Carmola, Wasserman, & Silverman, 1999; Winokur & Tsuang, 1996). However, a number of important questions remain concerning the nature and determinants of the adult psychosocial difficulties exhibited by depressed adolescents. Theseinclude the specificity of these deficits to adolescent depression, as opposed to other forms of adolescent psychopathology, and the possibility that a number of third variables might account for the association between adolescent depression and psychosocial difficulties in adulthood. Childhood externalizing disorders, especially conduct disorder, have been repeatedly shown to be associated with...