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Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a Framework for Understanding Adolescent Depressive Symptoms Over Time

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Abstract

Objectives

Worldwide, depression is one of the most common medical disorders in adolescence. Adolescent depressive symptoms generally increase over time, but many experience decreases after an initial peak. The purpose of this paper was to examine ecological predictors of baseline and change in adolescent depressive symptoms using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a framework.

Methods

Adolescents (n = 500; 52% female; baseline age 10–13 years) and their parents living in the northwestern United States completed annual questionnaires over six years. A structural equation model growth curve analysis was conducted to examine how family stressors, neighborhood safety, parent-child connectedness, and youth locus of control predicted adolescent depressive symptoms (baseline and growth).

Results

Results demonstrated that adolescent locus of control was associated with lower baseline depressive symptoms (β = −0.27, p < 0.001). Parent-child connectedness (youth-report) was indirectly predictive of baseline depressive symptoms through locus of control (β = −0.06, p < 0.05). Family economic stress was predictive of less growth in depressive symptoms over time (β = −0.20, p < 0.05). General family stressors, neighborhood safety, and parent report of parent-child connectedness were not predictive of adolescent depressive symptoms. In a sensitivity analysis using an autoregressive model, adolescent-report of parent-child connectedness was the most consistently predictive measure of adolescent depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

Overall, the results suggest that feelings of family connectedness and control are more important to understanding baseline depressive symptoms than physical, contextual factors. However, some adversity may be healthy and provide adolescents with experiences that slow the growth of depression.

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Author Contributions

AC conceived of the study and the analytical design, performed statistical analyses and interpretation, drafted the methods and results sections, and edited the manuscript. EAP and GCB wrote sections of the introduction and discussion. BMM drafted sections of the introduction and helped edit the entire manuscript. CLG, MDB, and MLBN reviewed and edited the manuscript. RAB was a principal investigator for the Flourishing Families Project and helped edit the manuscript. All authors helped with the interpretation of results and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, Brigham Young University, 4103 Life Sciences Building, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

    AliceAnn Crandall, Elizabeth A. Powell, Grace C. Bradford, Brianna M. Magnusson, Carl L. Hanson, Michael D. Barnes & M. Lelinneth B. Novilla

  2. College of Family Life, Brigham Young University, 257 TLRB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA

    Roy A. Bean

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  1. AliceAnn Crandall
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  2. Elizabeth A. Powell
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Correspondence to AliceAnn Crandall.

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Crandall, A., Powell, E.A., Bradford, G.C. et al. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a Framework for Understanding Adolescent Depressive Symptoms Over Time. J Child Fam Stud 29, 273–281 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01577-4

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