Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Assessing Depressive Symptoms In Adolescent Boys: Pre- Versus Postpubescent, Delinquent Versus Nondelinquent, David P. Defrancesco

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to compare depressive symptoms reported by boys who were either pre- or postpubescent and who were legally designated delinquent or had no legal histories. A self-report puberty scale and a semi-structured interview (the Child Assessment Schedule-CAS) were administered to 48 boys. Results were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Significance levels between groups were examined with Duncan's range test. No significant differences were found between pre- and postpubescent boys for reporting depressive symptoms, but delinquent youths were found to report significantly more depressive symptoms than nondelinquent youths. The implications of these results are discussed …