FACTORS INFLUENCING CO-OCCURRENCE OF DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR AND DEPRESSION AMONG THAI ADOLESCENTS

Abstract

The purposes of this cross-sectional, descriptive correlation study were to examine the relationship between disruptive behaviors and to examine factors influencing co-occurrence of disruptive behavior and depression among Thai adolescents. One hundred twenty-three adolescents with disruptive behavior and depression, 13 – 17 years old were the participants of this study. The participants were recruited from Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Outpatient Departments/ Services of seven hospitals/institutes that simple random sampling from four regions of the Kingdom of Thailand. Adolescents completed a set of five questionnaires: the Demographic Questionnaire, the CES-D, the Social Competence Questionnaire, the FES- Relationship Dimension, and the Deviant Peer Affiliation Questionnaire. Whereas the parents completed a set of four questionnaires: the Demographic Questionnaire, the Childhood ODD Questionnaire, the CADBI, and the Parent’s Report. Pearson’s Product Moment correlation was used to test relationship between disruptive behavior and depression. A linear structural relationship (LISREL) 8.72 was used to test the hypothesized path model. The results from Pearson’s correlation analysis show that disruptive behavior did not has positive association with depression among Thai adolescents (r = .13, p > .05). In addition, the study findings revealed that the hypothesized model fit the empirical data and explained 18% and 13% of the variance of co-occurrence of disruptive behavior and depression (chi-square =5.08, df =6, p = 0.533, chi-square/df = 0.85, RMSEA = 0.000, GFI = 0.99, AGFI = 0.95). Family environment and social competence were the influential factors affecting depression. Whereas, Childhood ODD was the predictor of disruptive behavior. These findings demonstrated that disruptive behavior did not has positive relationship with depression in adolescents who could be received continuing care. Further research reexamine factors influencing the co-occurrence is needed.