青少年憂鬱症狀與偏差行為的軌跡分析：社會支持及個人特質的影響

Abstract

研究目的：在憂鬱症狀與偏差行為間相互影響的理論基礎上，本研究目的為探討臺灣青少年憂鬱症狀與偏差行為間是否存在因果併發關係，並檢驗不同環境脈絡的社會支持與個人特質對此因果併發關係的影響。 研究方法：本研究資料取自臺灣教育長期追蹤資料庫中四波追蹤樣本 (N = 4163)，使用自我迴歸潛在軌跡模型檢驗憂鬱症狀與偏差行為的因果關聯性，以及國中時期自覺的父母支持、教師支持、外向性人格特質與性別對憂鬱症狀、偏差行為以及兩者併發關係的影響。 研究結果：臺灣青少年的憂鬱症狀軌跡自青少年中期至後期隨年齡上升，而偏差行為軌跡則隨年齡下降。在青少年國中時期觀察到憂鬱症狀與偏差行為相互增強的現象，且控制不同環境脈絡的社會支持與個人特質後，兩者相互預測的關係仍然存在，然而，高中時期僅觀察到憂鬱症狀及偏差行為同時產生的關聯性，兩者間並無相互影響的關係。學校脈絡中的教師訊息支持與青少年國一的偏差行為呈現負相關，外向性人格特質則與青少年國一時期的憂鬱症狀與其國三至高三成長軌跡的起始值呈負相關，並與偏差行為成長軌跡的初始值呈現正相關，性別則顯著預測青少年國一時期的憂鬱症狀與其國三至高三的成長軌跡起始狀態，以及國一時期的偏差行為與其國三至高三的成長軌跡。 研究結論：本研究支持臺灣青少年早期的憂鬱症狀與偏差行為之因果併發關係符合相互影響的觀點，學校脈絡的社會支持、外向性人格特質與性別對兩種情緒及行為問題有不同的影響效果，且憂鬱症狀與偏差行為間相互影響的關係並非由社會支持與個人特質所造成。

Purpose: On the basis of mutual influence theories of depression-delinquency covariation, this study aims to clarify the causal mechanism between depressive symptoms and delinquent behaviors across adolescence and to examine the influence of social support in different contexts and personal characteristics on the causal comorbidity of depressive symptoms and delinquent behaviors in Taiwanese adolescents. Method: The data using in this study is selected from the Taiwan Educational Panel Survey (TEPS). A total of four waves of students’ data (N = 4163) are analyzed using auto-regressive latent trajectory models. Result: Taiwanese adolescents show gradual decline in depressive symptoms and slightly increase in delinquent behaviors during middle to late adolescence. The levels of depressive symptoms and delinquent behaviors mutually influence each other across early adolescence. The mutual influences remain significant after controlling for the perceived social support in different contexts and personal characteristics. The perceived social support in school context rather than family context is associated with delinquent behaviors, while only a negative association is found between teacher informational support and delinquent behaviors in the 7th grade. Furthermore, increased extroversion personality predicts decreased depressive symptoms in the 7th grade, as well as the decreased and increased initial level of depressive symptoms and delinquent behaviors, respectively, from the 9th grade to the 12th grade. Females demonstrate higher levels of depressive symptoms, whereas males present greater levels of delinquent behaviors and faster rates of change of delinquent behaviors developmental trends than females. Conclusions: This study provides support for the mutual influence hypothesis of depression-delinquency covariation in Taiwanese adolescents. The causal comorbidity between depressive symptoms and delinquent behaviors is independent of perceived social support and personal characteristics. The influence of social support in school context, extroversion personality, and gender on adolescents’ depressive symptoms or delinquent behaviors varies over time.