@article{ref1,
title="Are relationships between impulsivity and depressive symptoms in adolescents sex-dependent?",
journal="Heliyon",
year="2019",
author="Regan, Timothy and Harris, Bethany and Fields, Sherecce A.",
volume="5",
number="10",
pages="e02696-e02696",
abstract="INTRODUCTION: Both depressive symptomology and impulsivity are common during adolescence and are associated with various negative life outcomes. The potential sex-dependent nature of relationships between these constructs needs further exploration in order to understand their complexities. This cross-sectional study examined how levels of these constructs may differ by sex. Additionally, we investigated whether sex moderates relationships between adolescents' depression symptoms and different facets of impulsivity. <br><br>METHODS: 156 adolescents (<i>M</i><sub>                         <i>age</i>                     </sub> = 17.37, <i>SD</i> = 1.91, 59% female) completed self-report measures of their demographics, depression symptoms, and impulsivity. Multiple Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) assessed mean differences in depression symptoms and impulsivity by sex and race/ethnicity. Moderation analyses examined how sex may indirectly affect relationships between depression symptoms to predict attentional, motor, and non-planning impulsivity facets, as well as overall trait impulsivity. <br><br>RESULTS: Correlations between depression symptoms and impulsivity scores were significant. Baseline depression symptoms were significantly higher among females (<i>M</i> = 9.53) compared to males (<i>M</i> = 6.68). Moderation effects of sex were not significant for attentional, motor, or overall trait impulsivity. However, sex moderated relations between depression symptoms and non-planning impulsivity, such that adolescent males showed higher levels of non-planning impulsivity when they reported high levels of depressive symptoms <i>(B</i> =.32, <i>p</i> <.01). This relationship was not significant for females. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: While adolescent females may be more prone to depression, adolescent males may be more likely to experience non-planning impulsivity when experiencing symptoms of depression. The results of this study extend the literature regarding sex differences in vulnerabilities between these constructs. We suggest interventions targeting non-planning impulsivity may be especially salient for adolescent males reporting high levels of depressive symptoms.<br><br>© 2019 The Authors.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2405-8440",
doi="10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02696",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02696"
}