RESUMO
Although symptoms of anxiety often coexist with symptoms of depression, little is known on how such coexistence affects youth's school experiences. OBJECTIVES: We tested how the two types of behaviors, when coexisting, were associated with youth's negative attitude toward teachers, school, and poor peer relations. METHOD: Data were collected from 203 ethnically and socioeconomically diverse youth (male: 24.6%; mean = 15.8 years, standard deviation = 2.4) with the 3rd edition of the Behavioral Assessment for Children: Self-Report of Personality. RESULTS: Scores for symptoms of depression alone explained negative attitude toward teachers (ß = .28; R2 = 17.88%), negative attitude toward school (ß = .27; R2 = 14.74%), and poor peer relations (ß = .42; R2 = 44.60%) as effectively as scores for both types of behaviors did. CONCLUSION: The coexistence of symptoms of anxiety and depression did not appear to impair youth's attitude toward teachers, school and peer relations more than symptoms of depression did alone.
