1. Results Introduction Conclusions Method
Adolescent Affect Predicts Adult Psychological Health Jessica Kansky, Joseph P. Allen, & Ed Diener University of Virginia. We would like to thank the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development for funding awarded to Joseph P. Allen, Principal Investigator, (R01 HD & R01-MH58066) for funding to conduct this study as well as for the write-up of this study.
Results
Introduction
Figure 1: Positive Affect Predicts Relative Changes in Adult Mental Health Controlling for Adolescent Psychological Health
Age 25
Analyses using a Full Information Maximum Likelihood approach for handling missing data suggested that adolescent positive affect predicted relative changes in adult depression, anxiety, and externalizing symptoms (see Figure 1).
Controlling for gender, income, and baseline psychological health, positive affect at age 14 was associated with decreasing levels of both internalizing and externalizing behavior at age 25. No associations were found between negative affect at age 14 and mental health at age 25.
Prior research has found a relationship between higher subjective well-being and health and longevity (Diener & Chan, 2011; Steptoe &Wardle, 2011).
Research has shown that the happiest people have low levels of mental illness symptoms (Diener & Seligman, 2002); however the direction of influence is uncertain.
Fewer studies have addressed the influence of positive and negative affect, two key components of subjective well-being, predicting mental health across the transition into adulthood.
Identifying whether affect in early adolescence influences relative changes in psychological health in adulthood may provide an early subjective well-being target for intervention.
In this study, we investigated how adolescent positive and negative affect predicted relative changes in mental health functioning in adulthood.
Depression
Age 14
-0.20*
Positive Affect
Anxiety
-0.27***
-0.21**
Externalizing
Conclusions
Note. Coefficients are standardized betas. Gender, income and baseline mental health functioning were controlled for.
*p < .05, **p<.01, ***p<.001
The results suggest that adolescents with more positive affect report less depression, anxiety, and externalizing behaviors overtime as adults compared to teens with less positive affect because early positive affect potentially buffers against later potentially difficult events.
This may be due to the additional benefits positive affect affords adolescents, especially healthier social relationships which have been found to be associated with better psychological health.
Alternatively, adolescents who report higher positive affect may be less likely to report maladjustment.
Our results do not indicate any long-term effects of adolescent negative affect on adult mental health.
Future Directions
Why does positive affect and not negative affect predict relative changes in adult mental health functioning?
Is the relationship between positive affect and psychological well-being mediated by strong social relationships?
Should the focus of mental health interventions focus on increasing positive affect rather than decreasing negative affect?
Method
Measures
Depressive Symptoms were assessed using the 27-item CDI (Kovacs & Beck, 1977) at age 14 and the 21-item BDI (Beck, Rush, Shaw, & Emery) at age 25, both rated on a 4-point Likert scale with higher scores indicating more depression.
Anxiety Symptoms were assessed using the BAI (Beck, Epstein, Brown & Steer, 1988) at age 14 and the STAI trait subscale at age 25 (Spielberger, Gorusch, & Lushene, 1970) where higher scores reflect more anxiety.
Externalizing Symptoms were assessed using the aggression and delinquency subscales of the YSR at age 14 (Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1987) and at age 25 were assessed using the 35-item externalizing subscale of the ASR (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2003).
The Affective Arousal Scale assessed adolescent positive and negative affect at age 14 (Porter, 2000). The AAS asks, “How ___ are you right now?” with participants responding on a visual analog scale ranging from “Not At All” to “Very.” Negative affect includes sad, worried, angry, upset and tense; positive affect includes happy and cheerful.
Participants
Participants were 184 individuals assessed at age 14 and 25.
The sample was 58% European-American, 29% African-American, and 14% mixed race or other race/ethnicities.
Baseline median family income was in the $40,000 to $59,000 range
Procedure
Time 1 – At age 14, participants completed the:
Affective Arousal Scale (AAS)
Child Depression Inventory (CDI)
Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)
Youth Self Report (YSR)
Time 2 – At age 25, participants completed adult-versions of the psychological measures including the:
Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)
Adult Self Report (ASR)
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