ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Understanding similarities and differences between groups with intersecting social identities provides key information in research and practice to promote well-being. Building on the intersectionality literature indicating significant gender and racial/ethnic differences in depressive symptoms, the present study used quantile regression to systematically present the diversity in the development of depressive symptoms for individuals with intersecting gender, race/ethnicity, and levels of symptoms. METHODS: Information from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 79: Child and Young Adult study was employed. A detailed picture of depressive symptom trajectories from low to high quantiles was illustrated by depicting 13 quantile-specific trajectories using follow-up data from ages 15 to 40 in six gender-race/ethnicity groups: both genders of Black, Hispanic, and non-Black, non-Hispanic individuals. RESULTS: From low to high quantiles, Black and non-Black, non-Hispanic individuals showed mostly curved, and Hispanic individuals showed mostly flat trajectories. Across the six gender-race/ethnicity groups, the trajectories below 0.50 quantiles were similar in levels and shapes from mid-adolescence to young adulthood. The differences between the six gender-race/ethnicity groups widened, indicated by outspreading trajectories, especially at quantiles above 0.50. Furthermore, non-Black, non-Hispanic males and females showed especially fast-increasing patterns at quantiles above 0.75. Among those without or with only a high school degree, Black females and non-Black, non-Hispanic females tended to report similar levels of depressive symptoms higher than other groups at high quantiles. These unique longitudinal trajectory profiles cannot be captured by the mean trajectories. CONCLUSIONS: The intersectionality of gender, race/ethnicity, and quantile of symptoms on the development of depressive symptoms was identified. Further studying the mechanism explaining this diversity can help reduce mental health disparities.
ABSTRACT
The present study discusses the impact of union and parenthood transitions on individuals' self-esteem and sense of mastery development from midadolescence to young adulthood by using multilevel analyses with longitudinal data of 7,339 individuals between ages 15 and 38. The results show that, first, individuals in marital unions show significantly greater rates of growth in self-esteem and sense of mastery, compared with singles. Therefore, entering into marriage provides greater protections to individuals' self-esteem and sense of mastery. Second, the transition to parenthood brings significant decreases in levels and increases in rates of change in self-esteem and sense of mastery among new parents. The degree of the aforementioned changes differs by new parents' gender, union status, and living arrangement with the child at childbirth. Women are influenced more negatively than men. Living with the child at childbirth reduces the degree of decreases in self-esteem and sense of mastery, especially for mothers. In sum, from midadolescence to young adulthood, the development of individuals' self-esteem and sense of mastery is shaped by their union and parenthood transitions. Moreover, the context where these transitions take place, including the type of union and the living arrangement, moderates the degree of the impact. Our findings have important implications for research and practice in promoting the family transition experience.
