Depressive and socially anxious symptoms, psychosocial maturity, and risk perception: Associations with risk-taking behaviour

Abstract

Risk-taking behaviour and onset of mental illness peak in adolescence and young adulthood. This study evaluated the interconnectedness of the domains of risk-taking behaviour, mental health (symptoms of depression and social anxiety), psychosocial maturity, risk perception, age, and gender in a sample of 306 adolescents and young adults. Participants between the ages of 16 and 35 completed online self-report measures assessing risk-taking behaviour, depressive symptoms, socially anxious symptoms, psychosocial maturity and risk perception. Socially anxious symptoms, psychosocial maturity, and risk perception were directly associated with risk-taking behaviour. Correlations between depressive symptoms, socially anxious symptoms, and psychosocial maturity were found. Psychosocial maturity proved a better predictor of risk-taking behaviour than age in this cohort. The findings indicate that mental health impacts upon risk-taking behaviour and that consideration should be given to psychosocial maturity in attempts to reduce adolescent and young adult risk-taking behaviour.

Fig 1. Model displaying the predicted associations between risk-taking behaviour, depressive and socially anxious symptoms, psychosocial maturity, risk perception, age, and gender.

Boxes represent observed variables, solid single headed arrows represent positive associations, dashed single headed arrows represent negative associations, and double headed arrows represent correlations. Positive associations for gender indicate an increase in the outcome variable amongst males relative to females.

Fig 2. Path model 1 displaying the associations between risk-taking behaviour, depressive and socially anxious symptoms, psychosocial maturity, risk perception, age, and gender.

Boxes represent observed variables, long arrows represent regressions, double headed arrows represent correlations, short arrows represent residual error variances, and values represent standardised effect sizes. ^p > .05, *p < .05, **p < .01 ***p < .001. R² represents the amount of variance explained by the model.

Fig 3. Path model 2 displaying the associations between risk-taking behaviour, depressive and socially anxious symptoms, psychosocial maturity, and risk perception.

Boxes represent observed variables, long arrows represent regressions, double headed arrows represent correlations, short arrows represent residual error variances, and values represent standardised effect sizes. *p < .05, **p < .01 ***p < .001. R² represents the amount of variance explained by the model.