Faculty Sponsor: Jennifer Rose
Live Poster Session: Zoom Link
Gaby Sorin
Gaby Sorin is a junior at Wesleyan University majoring in Psychology and Biology, and serves as Co-Captain of the Club Tennis Team. She works in Dr. May’s Risk, Prevention, and Intervention research lab where she conducts clinical psychology research, focusing on suicide risk, depression, and PTSD. Through this work, she was a writer for the Connecticut State Suicide Prevention Plan, helping incorporate evidence-based strategies to improve early intervention, risk screening, and access to mental health care.
Abstract: Anxiety and depression are among the most common internalizing problems during adolescence and represent a major public-health concern. Research has consistently demonstrated that adolescent anxiety and depression increase vulnerability to adult psychiatric disorders. Despite strong evidence for continuity between adolescent and adult psychopathology, relatively few studies have examined why these associations differ in strength among individuals. Suicide attempts during adolescence may represent an especially severe manifestation of internalizing distress that intensifies long-term psychiatric risk. The present study aims to determine (1) whether adolescent symptoms of anxiety and depression are associated with adulthood diagnoses, and (2) to test whether adolescent suicide attempts moderate these associations. Data were drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), a nationally representative study following participants from adolescence into adulthood. Adolescent anxiety and depression risk scores and suicide attempt history were measured in Wave 1, while adulthood diagnoses were measured in Wave 5. It is hypothesized that higher adolescent anxiety and depression risk scores will be positively associated with adulthood anxiety and depression diagnoses, and that the association will be stronger among adolescents with a history of suicide attempts. If supported, these results would suggest that suicidal behavior intensifies the continuity between early emotional distress and adult psychopathology.
Gaby-Sorin-QAC201-Poster.pptx