Age-varying associations between nonmarital sexual behavior and depressive symptoms across adolescence and young adulthood

Abstract

Research has demonstrated associations between adolescent sexual behavior and depressive symptoms, but no single study has examined individuals at different ages throughout adolescence and young adulthood in order to determine at what ages sexual behavior may be associated with higher or lower levels of depressive symptoms. Using nationally representative longitudinal data and an innovative method, the time-varying effect model (TVEM), which examines how the strength of an association changes over time, this study examines how nonmarital sexual intercourse is associated with depressive symptoms at different ages, which behaviors and contexts may contribute to these associations, and whether associations differ for male and female participants. Findings indicate that sexual behavior in adolescence is associated with a higher level of depressive symptoms, particularly for female adolescents, and this association is relatively consistent across different partner types and adolescent contexts. Associations between sexual behavior and depressive symptoms in young adulthood are more dependent on partner factors and adolescent contexts; sexual behavior in young adulthood is associated with fewer depressive symptoms for women who have sex with a single partner and for men whose parents did not strongly disapprove of adolescent sexual behavior. Findings suggest that delaying sexual behavior into young adulthood may have some benefits for mental health, although contextual and relationship factors also play a role. (PsycINFO Database Record

Figure 1

Estimated rates of past-year sexual intercourse (black), multiple sexual partners (light grey) and non-relationship sex (dashed dark grey) at ages 14–32, by gender. Multiple partners and non-relationship sex are calculated only for individuals who are sexually active at a given measurement occasion. Questions about non-relationship sex were not asked at the final measurement occasion, and thus no information is available after age 26. Dashed lines indicate 95% confidence intervals.

Figure 2

Associations between sexual intercourse and recent depressive symptoms over ages 14–32, by gender. Coefficients (solid lines) represent within-wave associations between past-year sexual intercourse and past-week depressive symptoms. Dashed lines indicate 95% confidence intervals. Periods where confidence intervals do not include 0 indicate significance at the p <.05 level.

Figure 3

Associations between sex with a single partner (left) and multiple partners (right) and depressive symptoms over ages 14–32, by gender. Coefficients (solid lines) represent within-wave associations between past-year sexual behavior and past-week depressive symptoms. Dashed lines indicate 95% confidence intervals. Periods where confidence intervals do not include 0 indicate significance at the p <.05 level.

Figure 4

Associations between sex with only relationship partners (left) and with non-relationship partners (right) and depressive symptoms over ages 14–26, by gender. Coefficients (solid lines) represent within-wave associations between past-year sexual behavior and past-week depressive symptoms. Dashed lines indicate 95% confidence intervals. Periods where confidence intervals do not include 0 indicate significance at the p <.05 level.

Figure 5

Associations between sexual intercourse and recent depressive symptoms over ages 14–32, moderated by gender and parental disapproval of sex (high v. non-high). Coefficients (solid lines) represent within-wave associations between past-year sexual behavior and past-week depressive symptoms. Dashed lines indicate 95% confidence intervals. Periods where confidence intervals do not include 0 indicate significance at the p <.05 level.