title: Depressive symptomatology, exposure to violence, and the role of social capital among African American adolescents.
abstract: Focusing on the role of capital as both personal and social resources for adolescents, the authors examined depressive symptomatology among a sample of 10- to 18-year-old African American youths (N=1,538). In addition to gender and age differences, adolescents exposed to threatening environments (school, neighborhood, home) reported more depressive symptoms. Social capital had a significant inverse relationship with adolescent depression; self-esteem and a social capital index were negatively related to depressive symptomatology. Furthermore, the interaction effects of gender with social capital, age with self-esteem, and age with grades were significant, indicating the presence of a buffering effect. These findings suggest the importance of interrelationships among violence exposure, capital, and well-being for adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294-3350, USA. kfitzpat@uab.edu
authors.forename: Kevin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Fitzpatrick
authors.forename: Bettina F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Piko
authors.forename: Darlene R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: LaGory
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000407:Alabama / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*