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. 2023 Apr;62(2):1136-1156.
doi: 10.1007/s10943-022-01515-7. Epub 2022 Mar 14.

School Influences on Adolescent Depression: A 6-Year Longitudinal Study Amongst Catholic, Government and Independent Schools, in Victoria, Australia

Bosco C Rowland  1 , Mohammadreza Mohebbi  2 , Adrian B Kelly  3 , Michelle L Benstead  4 , Jess A Herde  5   6   7 , Elizabeth M Clancy  4 , Jennifer A Bailey  8 , Bill Hallam  4 , Paul Sharkey  9   10 , Robyn Horner  10 , John W Toumbourou  4
Affiliations

School Influences on Adolescent Depression: A 6-Year Longitudinal Study Amongst Catholic, Government and Independent Schools, in Victoria, Australia

Bosco C Rowland et al. J Relig Health. 2023 Apr.

Erratum in

Abstract

This study examined associations between school sector (Government, Catholic or Independent) and depressive symptomology over the secondary school years. Six waves of data collected annually from a representative Australian sample were examined. Multilevel piecewise linear and logistic regression controlling for a variety of demographic variables and protective factors was undertaken. In all sectors, depressive symptomology decreased between 10 and 13 years of age, but significantly increased for girls at age 13. Adolescents in Catholic schools reported significantly fewer symptoms of depression compared to those in Government and Independent schools. Adolescents in Catholic schools were less likely to report clinical levels of depressed mood compared to adolescents in Government schools.

Keywords: Depression; Longitudinal; Piecewise; Prosocial; Sector; Trajectories.

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Conflict of interest statement

While Catholic Education Melbourne (CEM) funded Deakin University and Centre for Social Early and Emotional Development to undertake the analysis of the data for this study, the CEM did not fund the longitudinal study nor does it have any association with the development or management of the longitudinal data used in this study.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Predicted Marginal Effects Piecewise (left panel) and Binary Regression model (right panel). *Note: Girls are the top 3 lines; boys are the bottom 3 lines
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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