An Exploration of Depression Symptom Trajectories,and Their Predictors,in a Canadian Sample of Emerging Adults

Abstract

Using a four-wave longitudinal sample of young Canadian adults (18–24), this study identified five latent trajectory classes: low stable, high stable, high decreasing, moderate decreasing, and low increasing. The identification of a class characterized by an increasing trajectory of depression symptoms across the transition to adulthood is a novel finding. Of the risk and protective factors assessed, only initial student status and perceived family support helped prospectively distinguish between trajectory classes—students with higher depression symptomology in late adolescence are at increased risk for depression across the transition to adulthood, while perceived family social support in late adolescence is a protective factor associated with reduced probability of being in more symptomatic depression trajectories. Although limitations related to sample size warrant due caution, the findings still have diagnostic, prevention, and treatment implications related to the prospective differentiation of diverging depression symptom trajectories (i.e., multifinality) in the transition to adulthood.