Trajectories of depressive symptoms among young adults in Texas 2014-2018: a multilevel growth curve analysis using an intersectional lens.

Introduction: Research has demonstrated disparities in depressive symptoms among people who are marginalized. However, more work should examine depressive symptoms through an intersectional lens, recognizing that multiple systems of privilege and oppression interlock to create unique struggles where multiple marginalized identities meet. Recent methodological developments have advanced quantitative intersectionality research using multilevel modeling to partition variance in depressive symptoms to person-level sociodemographic variables and intersectional-level social strata. The purpose of this study is to leverage these methods to examine trajectories of depressive symptoms among young adults in Texas through an intersectional lens.

Methods: Multilevel modeling was used to examine the longitudinal trajectories of depressive symptoms among 3575 young adults from 24 colleges in Texas assessed seven times between Fall 2014 and Spring 2018. Intersectional identities included sex, race/ethnicity, and sexual and gender minority identities. The model examined time nested within individuals and individuals nested within intersectional social strata.

Results: Young adults in Texas experienced an increase in depressive symptoms from 2014-2018. Those with female, Hispanic, AAPI, other race/ethnicity, or LGBTQ + identities experienced more depressive symptoms. After controlling for the main effects of the sociodemographic variables, 0.08% of variance in depressive symptoms remained attributed to the effects of intersectional identities.

Conclusion: Evaluating disparities in depressive symptoms through an intersectional lens offers a more complete description of the epidemiology of depressive symptoms. Communities and institutions that serve marginalized people should consider the elevated burden of depressive symptoms that marginalized people may carry, and integrate culturally competent psychoeducation, assessments, and therapies where possible.