Browsing by Subject "parisuhteen laatu"

Aims: Previous studies have shown, that being in a romantic relationship in adolescence is associated with increase in depressive symptoms. The major aim of this study was to determine whether the association can also be found between romantic relationship and anxiety and psychotic symptoms. The linkages between being in a romantic relationship and depressive, anxiety and psychotic symptoms were examined in this study. It was hypothesized that being in a romantic relationship would predict increase at least in depressive and anxiety symptoms. Besides that this study also examined the linkages between the quality of romantic relationship and depressive, anxiety and psychotic symptoms. It was assumed that the good quality would be associated with increase in symptoms whereas the bad quality would be associated with fewer symptoms. This was also seen to explain the possible associations between romantic relationship and psychic symptoms. Methods: The data of this study was a part of a wider Pathways to Desistance –study which followed serious juvenile offenders' psychological development, behaviour, social relationships, mental health, and experiences in the juvenile or criminal justice system. The subjects were 14–19 years old adolescents and the number of subjects fluctuated between 699–1262 adolescents depending on analysis. The linkages between romantic relationship and symptoms were examined both in a cross-sectional and longitudinal studies whereas the associations between the quality of relationship and symptoms were studied only cross-sectionally. The analyses were done by Poisson Regression. Results and conclusions: This study showed no associations between being in a romantic relationship in adolescence and depression, anxiety and psychotic symptoms. Thus, being in a relationship does not seem to be a risk factor for depression, anxiety or psychotic symptoms according to this study. The quality of romantic relationship does not either seem to be associated with the amount of symptoms. Therefore the bad quality of romantic relationship does not seem to predispose adolescents to more symptoms and respectively the good quality does not seem to promote psychological wellbeing. According to this study only adolescent's partner's antisocial influence was a significant risk factor to an adolescent's psychological wellbeing; It was associated with more depressive, anxiety and psychotic symptoms.