Monday, January 28, 2019

Academic Skills in the Evolution of Conduct Problems and Depressive Symptoms




Youth with conduct problems present frequently depressive symptoms. Academic skills are thought to be a mediating variable by which conduct problems could lead to depressive symptoms. No studies have longitudinally compared this model among school-aged boys and girls with different levels of conduct problems.

This study examined the relations between conduct problems, depressive symptoms, and academic skills over a 3-year period, and whether the severity of conduct problems and gender moderated these associations. Participants were 381 children presenting early clinically significant conduct problems (44.9% female) and 363 children with low levels of conduct problems (48.8% female).

While results did not show any cascade or indirect associations, they revealed different direct links between conduct problems or depressive symptoms and academic skills in the four groups.

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