Incidence of adolescent depression in a parochial high school

In recent years the problem of depression among children and adolescents has become increasingly important to educators and mental health professionals such as school psychologists. Documented increases in depressive symptoms among school-age youth may be reflected in an increase in acting out behaviors in the school settings which, in turn may adversely affect academic performance, teacher expectations, and peer relationships. This study investigated the incidence of depression in a parochial high school using a self-report procedure and compared with non-parochial studies. Differences between male and female students were analyzed, it was expected to find also an inverse correlation between the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores and the Iowa Test of Educational Development (ITED) scores. Original data from 240 parochial high school students ninth through twelfth graders from a Midwestern region were analyzed on the 21-item version of the Beck Depression Inventory and a demographic questionnaire. On the basis of the cutoffs for level of severity established by Albert and Beck (Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 4, 301-307, 1975), 21.2% scored within the moderate range, and 5.8% scored within the severe range of depression. No significant differences in the BDI scores were observed between male and female adolescents and none of the variables included in the demographic questionnaire had a different effect on the BDI scores. The expected inverse correlation of depression and academic performance was not supported by this study. The implications of the high rate of reported depressive symptoms among parochial and non-parochial students are discussed in relation to school psychology practice and intervention.