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Trajectories of depressive symptoms among young adults in Texas 2014–2018: a multilevel growth curve analysis using an intersectional lens

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Abstract

Introduction

Research has demonstrated disparities in depressive symptoms among people who are marginalized. However, more work should examine depressive symptoms through an intersectional lens, recognizing that multiple systems of privilege and oppression interlock to create unique struggles where multiple marginalized identities meet. Recent methodological developments have advanced quantitative intersectionality research using multilevel modeling to partition variance in depressive symptoms to person-level sociodemographic variables and intersectional-level social strata. The purpose of this study is to leverage these methods to examine trajectories of depressive symptoms among young adults in Texas through an intersectional lens.

Methods

Multilevel modeling was used to examine the longitudinal trajectories of depressive symptoms among 3575 young adults from 24 colleges in Texas assessed seven times between Fall 2014 and Spring 2018. Intersectional identities included sex, race/ethnicity, and sexual and gender minority identities. The model examined time nested within individuals and individuals nested within intersectional social strata.

Results

Young adults in Texas experienced an increase in depressive symptoms from 2014–2018. Those with female, Hispanic, AAPI, other race/ethnicity, or LGBTQ + identities experienced more depressive symptoms. After controlling for the main effects of the sociodemographic variables, 0.08% of variance in depressive symptoms remained attributed to the effects of intersectional identities.

Conclusion

Evaluating disparities in depressive symptoms through an intersectional lens offers a more complete description of the epidemiology of depressive symptoms. Communities and institutions that serve marginalized people should consider the elevated burden of depressive symptoms that marginalized people may carry, and integrate culturally competent psychoeducation, assessments, and therapies where possible.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health [1 P50 CA180906, and 1 R01 CA249883-01A1], from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the FDA Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Neither NIH nor FDA had any role in the study design, data collection, analysis, or writing of this paper. JH is supported by Grant number [T32HL140290] from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin, as well as Grant [P2CHD042849] awarded to the Population Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

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Thomas, J.E., Pasch, K.E., Marti, C.N. et al. Trajectories of depressive symptoms among young adults in Texas 2014–2018: a multilevel growth curve analysis using an intersectional lens. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 57, 749–760 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-022-02217-x

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