title: Exposure to violence and victimization and depression, hopelessness, and purpose in life among adolescents living in and around public housing.
abstract: This study examines the relationships between exposure to violence and depression, hopelessness, and purpose in life among black adolescents living in or around public housing developments. Black adolescents (N = 225, males = 44%) ages 11 to 19 years in a southern city were administered an anonymous questionnaire. Depression was correlated with the exposure to violence (r = .28), family conflict (r = .29), and corporal punishment (r = .32) scales, perceived probability of being alive at age 25 years (r = -.14), socioeconomic status of head of household (r = .14), anticipated socioeconomic status as an adult (r = .21), and number of sexual partners (r = .22). Based on multiple regression analysis, corporal punishment, family conflict, educational level of head of household, and perceived probability of being alive at age 25 years explained 18% (p < or = .0001) of the variation in depression. Family conflict, corporal punishment, and unemployed head of household explained 11% of the variation in the hopelessness scale. Unemployed head of household, the corporal punishment scale, and number of sexual partners explained 9.7% of the variation in purpose in life. Even when accounting for other social factors, exposure to violence in the home was associated with psychological distress in this sample of adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: DuRant
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Getts
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cadenhead
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Emans
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Woods
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011638:Public Housing; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014754:Violence