Effects of Mental Illness Exposure From Parents and Friends on Adolescent Mental Health and Well-Being

Jacqueline R. Anderson, Karabi Nandy, Anne K. Fuller, Taryn Mayes, Stevie Spinelli, Suzanne Brann, Felicia Padilla, Jennifer Hughes, Madhukar H Trivedi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Youth exposure to mental illness in family or friends is a known risk fac-tor of internalizing disorders. The current study examines the relationship between mental illness exposure and adolescents’ mental health and well-being in a cross-sectional school-based population using all self-report measures. Multilevel modelling was used to estimate adjusted effect of mental illness exposure on mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, well-being, and quality of life. The results indicated that there are statistically significant associations between mental illness exposure (through parents only, friends only, both, or none) and adolescent mental health. Compared to adolescents who had no exposure, depression and anxiety were significantly higher for those who had exposure through parents only, friends only, or both. They also had significantly lower well-being and quality of life. This study provides insight into how exposure to mental illness through friends or parents re-lates to adolescents’ mental health.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)228-235
Number of pages8
JournalPsychiatric Annals
Volume53
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 2023

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Psychiatry and Mental health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Effects of Mental Illness Exposure From Parents and Friends on Adolescent Mental Health and Well-Being'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this