The general aim of this study was to analyse associations between self-reported depressive symptoms and antisocial behaviour both concurrently and longitudinally in a community sample during middle adolescence. In more detail, the study aimed to investigate the continuity of self-reported depressive symptoms and antisocial behaviour, associations between self-reported depressive symptoms, antisocial behaviour and perceived social support, the patterns of delinquency in relation to self-reported depressive symptoms and longitudinal associations between self-reported depressive symptoms and antisocial behaviour.
The present study is based on two Finnish community studies among adolescents: the School Health Promotion Study (SHPS) 2002 and the Adolescent Mental Health Cohort Study (AMHC Study). SHPS is a nationwide cross-sectional survey carried out biannually in the same municipalities. The AMHC Study is a prospective cohort study conducted in the Finnish cities of Tampere and Vantaa, and consists of assessments at baseline (9th grade) and at 2-year follow-up. The subjects were 14 to16-year-old adolescents in SHPS [N 50, 569 (50.1% boys)] and 15 to 17-year-old adolescents in the AMHC Study [N 3, 278 (50.9% boys) at baseline, N 2, 070 (43.6% boys) at follow-up]. The data was collected through school surveys based on self-report scales previously widely used in depression and antisocial behaviour research.
According to the cross-sectional study perceived social support was inversely associated both with self-reported depressive symptoms and antisocial behaviour. The results emphasized specially the role of family support in buffering adolescents against depressive symptoms and antisocial behaviour. Concurrent comorbidity between self-reported depressive symptoms and antisocial behaviour in cross-sectional study design was high in both sexes, as adolescents displaying antisocial behaviour had a up to seven-fold greater risk of being depressed. Although perceived social support modified comorbidity between self-reported depressive symptoms and antisocial behaviour, antisocial behaviour still remained independently associated with depressive symptoms.The risk for self-reported depressive symptoms varied according to various forms of delinquent acts and increased according to the increased frequency of delinquency. Among females the strongest association was found in frequent vandalism and among males in frequent violence. Further, delinquent behaviour of depressed adolescents was more versatile than that of non-depressed adolescents, who had mainly specialized in one type of offence.
According to the follow-up study both self-reported depressive symptoms and antisocial behaviour showed considerable continuity during the 2-year period. There were no significant gender differences either in the continuity of self-reported depressive symptoms or in the continuity of antisocial behaviour. Self-reported depressive symptoms predicted subsequent antisocial behaviour in a 2-year period among females, but among males the history of depressive symptoms protected against subsequent antisocial behaviour. In either sex antisocial behaviour did not longitudinally predict subsequent self-reported depressive symptoms when prior depressive symptoms were controlled for.
In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that self-reported depressive symptoms and antisocial behaviour have a fairly stable course and remarkable comorbidity in middle adolescence. Self-reported depressive symptoms differentiate patterns of delinquent behaviour. Special attention should be paid to those adolescents who repeatedly behave antisocially because they are at considerable risk for depressive symptoms. Other potential warning signs for depressive symptoms are versatile delinquent behaviour as well as specialization on violence and vandalism. Depressed females are at risk of subsequent antisocial behaviour.
