The Development of Loneliness and Depression and Their Relationships among Students from 2nd to 9th Grade
Date Issued
2015
Date
2015
Author(s)
Chen, Chun-Yuan
Abstract
Objective: To explore trajectories and temporal relationships of loneliness and depression and their associated factors among students from childhood to early adolescence. Methods: Data were mainly obtained from the Child and Adolescent Behaviors in Long-term Evolution (CABLE) project; the others were from 12 Household Registration Office of Taipei City and Department of Budget, Accounting and Statistics of Hsinchu County. The study analyzed a panel sample of 2219 students (51.1% female) for 8 years (Grades 2 to 9) using latent growth curve modeling, group-based trajectory modeling, group-based dual trajectory modeling, multiple logistic regression model, canonical correlation analysis, and cross-lagged panel model. Results: Loneliness had a rate of 16.65-26.54%, and 19.33-28.01% for depression among students. Four trajectories of loneliness, and of depression, from childhood to early adolescence, were both identified, including persistent low, low to medium, medium to low, and medium to high. Also, we found four dual trajectories of loneliness and depression; they were both persistent low (28.2%), both low to medium (30.1%), both medium to low (23.4%), and both medium to high (18.3%). Gender, resilience, overuse of electronics (e.g., watch television, play game, etc.), parent-child activities, parent punishment, parent conflict, school identification, bullying and neighbor interactions were associated factors. Most of them had a combined effect on the co-existence of loneliness and depression, and were important predisposing and intervening factors. Conclusion: The trajectories of loneliness and depression and their associated factors were similar, and the temporal relationships between them were very close. Loneliness and depression highly coexisted during childhood and early adolescence. For preventing loneliness and depression, it is important to build resilience in young people, care for students with electronics overusing, create a warm family atmosphere, improve school identification, create a bullying-free environment in school, and develop prevention strategies with the perspective of multiple risk factors.
Subjects
loneliness
depression
trajectory
child
adolescent
longitudinal data
SDGs
Type
thesis