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Does self-competence predict gender differences in adolescent depression and anxiety?
C McCauley Ohannessian1, R M Lerner, J V Lerner
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Medical School, Farmington 06030-2103, USA.
Journal of Adolescence
|August 27, 1999
Summary
Self-competence helps explain why adolescent boys experience less depression and anxiety than girls. Higher self-competence in boys, particularly in 7th grade, mitigated gender differences in mental health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Adolescent Mental Health
Background:
- Gender disparities in depression and anxiety emerge during adolescence.
- Self-competence, or the belief in one's ability to succeed, is a key developmental factor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if self-competence predicts gender differences in depression and anxiety.
- To examine the role of self-competence in the emergence of these differences during early adolescence.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study involving 75 young adolescents.
- Data collected across 6th and 7th grade.
- Measured self-competence, depression, and anxiety levels.
Main Results:
- Boys consistently reported higher self-competence than girls.
- Boys showed significantly lower depression and anxiety in 7th grade, but not 6th.
- Accounting for self-competence reduced the gender gap in anxiety and eliminated it for depression.
Conclusions:
- Self-competence partially explains why adolescent boys exhibit lower rates of depression and anxiety compared to girls.
- Interventions aimed at boosting self-competence may help reduce gender disparities in adolescent mental health.
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