SEX-DIFFERENCES IN DEPRESSION ACROSS THE HIGH-SCHOOL TO COLLEGE TRANSITION

Although adolescent and adult females have consistently been found to experience depression at twice the rate of males, the college populati on has represented a notable exception, with equal rates of depression reported for males and females. Using a cross-sectional design with e quivalent measures, we explored the nature of these shifting populatio n statistics by the following: (a) examining whether college females w ere reporting lower levels of depression, or college males were report ing higher levels of depression, relative to same-sex high school peer s; and (b) exploring a number of relevant psychological and psychosoci al/environmental variables that might explain these shifts. Replicatin g previous findings on the presence or absence of gender differences i n depression in adolescent vs. college subjects, our data also indicat ed that this shift could be accounted for by lower levels of depressio n reported by college, relative to high school, females. Moreover, alt hough psychological variables were the best overall predictors of fema les' depression levels, differences between high school and college fe males were best explained by psychosocial/environmental variables. Res ults are discussed in terms of the contextual features associated with the college environment that might protect women against depression a nd account for differential depression levels.