Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Mar-Apr;136(2):132-135.
doi: 10.1177/0033354920971718. Epub 2021 Jan 25.

Preteen Behaviors and Sexual Orientation of High School Students Who Report Depressive Symptoms, United States, 2015-2017

Douglas D'Agati  1 , Geoffrey D Kahn  2 , Karen L Swartz  3
Affiliations

Preteen Behaviors and Sexual Orientation of High School Students Who Report Depressive Symptoms, United States, 2015-2017

Douglas D'Agati et al. Public Health Rep. 2021 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Unhealthy preteen behaviors are associated with adolescent depression. However, little is known about preteen factors among sexual minority young people, a group at increased risk for teen depression and suicide. We completed weighted multivariate logistic regression analyses on data from the national 2015 and 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey of 30 389 high school students in the United States. Preteen sex, cigarette smoking, and alcohol and marijuana use were significantly more prevalent among lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) and questioning students who reported depressive symptoms than among their heterosexual peers (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] range, 1.33-2.34; all significant at P < .05). The only exception was that marijuana use among questioning students was not significantly different from use among heterosexual peers (APR = 1.34; P = .11). Assessment of preteen sex and substance use-especially among LGB and questioning young people, who are more prone to depressive symptoms and more likely to initiate risky preteen behaviors than their heterosexual counterparts-will facilitate a life course approach to sexual minority mental health that should begin by early adolescence.

Keywords: LGB; adolescent depression; bisexual; gay; lesbian; preteen behaviors; questioning.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

References

    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . QuickStats: suicide rates for teens aged 15-19 years, by sex—United States, 1975-2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017;66(30):816. 10.15585/mmwr.mm6630a6 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Marshal MP., Dietz LJ., Friedman MS. et al.. Suicidality and depression disparities between sexual minority and heterosexual youth: a meta-analytic review. J Adolesc Health. 2011;49(2):115-123.10.1016/j.jadohealth.2011.02.005 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Russell ST., Fish JN. Mental health in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2016;12:465-487.10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-021815-093153 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Swahn MH., Bossarte RM. Gender, early alcohol use, and suicide ideation and attempts: findings from the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. J Adolesc Health. 2007;41(2):175-181.10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.03.003 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hallfors DD., Waller MW., Bauer D., Ford CA., Halpern CT. Which comes first in adolescence—sex and drugs or depression? Am J Prev Med. 2005;29(3):163-170.10.1016/j.amepre.2005.06.002 - DOI - PubMed

MeSH terms