Depression Among Latino Adolescents and the effect of School Composition

The study examines whether depression among Latino adolescents is related to the percentage of Latinos in their high school. Based on the group density effects theory, the study’s hypothesis is that as the relative size of the Latino student body decreases, depression increases for Latino students. The hypothesis is tested using Wave I of the National Longitudinal Data of Adolescent to Adult Health (1994-1995). Results of the analysis revealed that Latinos showing symptoms of depression tend to attend predominantly Latino schools (50 percent or more). Subsequent analyses found a high likelihood that this student population was from a lower socio-economic status and less fluent in English, meaning both factors were positively-associated with depression. Despite school proportion not being the direct cause of depression, group density effects’ mechanisms were still able to predict which Latinos are depressed