Skip to main content
Log in

Depressive Symptomatology in High School Students: The Role of Age, Gender and Academic Pressure

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Community Mental Health Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To clarify the prevalence of depressive symptomatology in high school students in Athens and to evaluate risk factors for depressive symptomatology the CES-D scale was administered to 713 students (age 15–18). Demographic, school performance and extracurricular activities data were collected. A high prevalence (26.2%) of depressive symptomatology (CES-D cut-off score >28) was found. Regression analysis showed depressive symptomatology to be associated to gender (girls had higher scores than boys), school record (students with a better record had lower scores) and the interaction of gender and grade (males were found to have higher depressive symptomatology scores as they grew older).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson, J. M., & Mc Gee, R. (1994). Comorbidity of depression in children and adolescents. In W. M. Reynolds & H. F. Johnson (Eds.), Handbook of depression in children and adolescents (pp. 581–601). Plenum: New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Angelopoulos, N., & Economou, M. (1994). Prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in a high school students population. European Psychiatry, 9, 19–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Angold, A., Costello, E. J., & Worthman, C. M. (1998). Puberty and depression. The role of age, pubertal status and pubertal timing. Psychological Medicine, 28, 51–61.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Birmaher, B., Ryan, N. D., Williamson, D. E., Brent, D. A., Kaufman, J., Dahl, R. E., et al. (1996). Childhood and adolescent depression: a review of the past 10 years. Part I. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 11, 1427–1439.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braconnier, A. (1987). La menace dépressive. Confrontations Psychiatriques, 29, 141–159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cantwell, D. P., Lewinsohn, P., Rohde, P., & Seeley, J. R. (1997). Correspondence between adolescent report and parent report of psychiatric diagnostic data. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 610–619.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chabrol, H., Montovany, A., Chonicha, K., & Ducogne, E. (2002). Study of the CES-D on a sample of 1953 adolescents students. Encephale, 28, 429–432.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Field, T., Diego, M., & Sanders, C. (2001). Adolescent depression and risk factors. Adolescence, 143, 491–498.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleming, J. E., & Offord, D. R. (1990). Epidemiology of childhood depressive disorders: a critical review. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 29, 571–580.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Garrison, C. Z., Addy, C. L., Jackson, K. L., Mc Keown, R. E., & Waller, J. L. (1991). The CES-D as a screen for depression and other psychiatric disorders in adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 4, 636–641.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Georgiades, K., Lewinsohn, P., Monroe, S., & Seeley, J. (2006). Major depressive disorder in adolescence: the role of subthreshold symptoms. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 45, 936–944.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goodwin, G. M. (2006). Depression and associated physical diseases and symptoms. Dialogues in Clinical Neurosciences, 2, 259–265.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huntington, D. D., & Bender, W. N. (1993). Adolescents with learning disabilities at risk? Emotional well–being, depression, suicide. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 26, 159–166.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jeammet, Ph. (1994). Dynamique de l’adolescence. Encyclopedie Medico-Chirurgic, Elsevier Paris, Psychiatrie, 37-213-A-20, 18–25.

  • Lewinsohn, D. M., Clarke, G. N., Seeley, J. R., & Rohde, P. (1994). Major depression in community adolescence: Age at onset, episode duration and time to recurrence. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 33, 809–818.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lewinsohn, P. M., Rohde, P., Seeley, J. R., & Fischer, S. A. (1993). Age-cohort changes in the lifetime occurrence of depression and other mental disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 102, 110–120.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li, C., Johnson, N. P., & Leopard, K. (2001). Risk factors for depression among adolescents living in group homes in South Carolina. Journal of Health and Social Policy, 2, 41–59.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Madianos, M. G., Gefou-Madianou, D., & Stefanis, C. N. (1993). Depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior among general population adolescents and young adults across Greece. European Psychiatry, 8, 139–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Statistics of Greece. (2007). Secondary educational statistics. Athens, (in Greek): National Statistical Service of Greece.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Farrell, A., Flanagan, E., Bedford, D., James, D., & Howell, F. (2005). Factors associated with self-reported depression and self-esteem among school-going adolescents from a geographically defined region in Ireland. Irish Journal of Medical Science, 4, 17–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Offer, D., Howard, K. I., Schonert, K. A., & Ostrov, E. (1991). To whom do adolescents turn for help? Differences between distributed and non–distributed adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 30, 623–630.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pataki, C., & Carlso, G. (1995). Childhood and adolescent depression: A review. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 2, 140–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poulin, C., Hand, D., Boudreau, B., & Santor, D. (2005). Gender differences in the association between substance use and elevated depressive symptoms in a general adolescent population. Addiction, 4, 525–535.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rao, U. (2002). Gender differences in depression during the transition to adult hood. Ten–trends in evidence–based–Neuropsychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, 5, 46–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rey, J. M., Grayson, D., Mojarrad, T., & Walter, G. (2002). Changes in the rate of diagnosis of major depression in adolescents following routine use of a depression rating scale. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 36, 229–233.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, R. E., Attkissom, C. C., & Rosenblatt, A. (1998). Prevalence of psychopathology among children and adolescents. American Journal of Psychiatry, 155, 715–725.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, R. E., Lewinsohn, P. M., & Seeley, J. R. (1991). Screening for adolescent depression: A comparison of depression scales. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 30, 58–66.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rushton, J. L., Forcier, M., & Schectman, R. M. (2002). Epidemiology of depressive symptoms in the national longitudinal study of adolescent health. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 41, 199–205.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., Graham, P., Chadwick, D. F. D., & Yule, W. (1976). Adolescent turmoil: Fact or fiction? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 17, 35–56.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Takakura, M., & Sakihara, S. (2000). Gender differences in the association between psychological factors and depressive symptoms in Japanese high school students. Journal of Epidemiology, 6, 383–391.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vickers, K. S., Patten, C. A., Lane, K., Clark, M. M., Croghan, I. T., Schoeder, D. R., et al. (2003). Depressed versus non- depressed young adult tobacco users: differences in coping style, weight concerns and exercise level. Health Psychology, 5, 498–503.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wittchen, H. U., Nelson, C. B., & Lachner, G. (1998). Prevalence of mental disorders and psychosocial impairments in adolescents and young adults. Psychological Medicine, 28, 109–126.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, R. G., Sepulveda, J. E., & Aneshensel, C. S. (2004). Depressive symptoms: how do adolescents compare with adults? Journal of Adolescent Health, 4, 314–323.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, H. J., Soong, W. T., Kuo, P. H., Chang, H. L., & Chen, W. J. (2004). Using the CES-D in a two phase survey for depressive disorders among non referred adolescents in Taipei: A statum- specific like hood ratio analysis. Journal of the Affective Disorders, 3, 419–430.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dimitris C. Anagnostopoulos.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lazaratou, H., Dikeos, D.G., Anagnostopoulos, D.C. et al. Depressive Symptomatology in High School Students: The Role of Age, Gender and Academic Pressure. Community Ment Health J 46, 289–295 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-010-9296-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-010-9296-2

Keywords

Navigation