Love hurts (in more ways than one): specificity of psychological symptoms as predictors and consequences of romantic activity among early adolescent girls.
OBJECTIVE
Research has linked adolescent romantic and sexual activities to depressive symptoms. The current study examines whether such activities are uniquely linked to depressive symptoms versus symptoms of other disorders (including anxiety, externalizing, and eating disorders), and whether co-occurring symptoms more precisely account for the association between depressive symptoms and romantic involvement.


METHODS
Early adolescent girls (N = 83; mean age = 13.45) participated in baseline and 1-year follow up data collection.


RESULTS
Romantic (i.e., dating and sexual) activities were longitudinally related to numerous types of symptoms. The association between depressive symptoms and romantic variables remained when considering co-occurring symptoms. Girls with more comorbid disorders reported more romantic activities.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that the maladaptive consequences and precipitants of adolescent romantic activities extend beyond depression, but also imply that this association is not secondary to comorbid symptoms. Future work should clarify causal pathways.
University of California, Los Angeles.
Lisa R
LR
Starr
Joanne
J
Davila
Catherine B
CB
Stroud
Po Ching
PC
Clara Li
Athena
A
Yoneda
Rachel
R
Hershenberg
Melissa
M
Ramsay Miller
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008149:Love; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology