Sintomas de depressão e ansiedade na transição do ensino secundário ao ensino médio: evolução e fatores infl uentes

Evolution of, and infl uencing factors on, depressive and anxious symptoms in the secondary-to-college transition

Abstract

Objectives: The fi rst objective of this longitudinal study was to examine the evolution of depressive and anxious symptoms
in the context of the secondary-to-college transition by identifying gender differences. The second objective was to analyze
the infl uence of the perceived support from parents and peers, as well as the formation of vocational identity, on symptoms
of depression and anxiety during the college years. Method: This study was carried out on a sample of 247 students (143
girls and 104 boys) from Quebec enrolled in their fi rst year of college in the fall of 2009. The average age of the students
was 17.1 years. The data were collected by means of self-administered questionnaires. Repeated measures analyses of
variance and correlation difference tests were carried out. Results: The results showed that the level of depressive symptoms
remained stable throughout the three years of college while the level of anxious symptoms initially decreased, only to return to the pre-transition level in the second year of college. At each of the three measurements, girls showed more symptoms of
depression and anxiety than boys. The results also showed an association between a more negative perception of support
from friends and family and a less-defi ned vocational identity, and a higher level of symptoms of depression and anxiety
throughout the fi rst two years of college. Conclusion: Prevention and treatment programs should take into account that, for
the majority of emerging adults, symptoms of depression and anxiety develop before the secondary-to-college transition.
Specifi c attention should be given to young women, as they show a higher level of depressive and anxious symptoms.
Finally, while anxiety and depression are very similar, the results of the present study indicate that they are two distinct
disorders, each requiring its own specifi c treatment.