Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
Self-reported depression and risk-taking behaviors among Hispanic adolescents
J A Pesa1, J E Cowdery, R C Westerfield
1Department of Health Studies, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa 35487-0312, USA.
Abstract:
In assessing the relationships between self-reported depression and certain key risk-taking behaviors among a national sample of Hispanic adolescents (N = 935, ages 12 to 19 years), girls who reported depression were significantly more likely to engage in these behaviors than girls who did not report depression. No significant differences were found among boys (n = 470), although they were more likely than girls (n = 465) to take risks regardless of depressive state. These results suggest that depressive symptoms may be a market for engagement in risk-taking behaviors among Hispanic girls.
Related Concept Videos
Surveys
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Self-Discrepancy Theory
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...

