Extracurricular Activities and Depression

The purpose of this study was to investigate and assess the relationship between participation in extracurricular activities and the experience of depression among ninth grade girls. One research was investigated in this study. The research question was as follows:

Are ninth grade girls from a rural or an urban school who participate in extracurricular activities less likely to exhibit symptoms of (a) dysphoric mood and related symptomatology, (b) anhedonia and negative affect, (c) negative self-evaluation, and (d) somatic and vegetative complaints than those who do not participate in extracurricular activities?

Discussion of the Findings Related to Urban-Rural Variations among Ninth Grade Girls in Relation to the Frequency of Depression Experienced

The research performed as a part of this study found no statistically significance difference in the levels of depression experienced by ninth grade rural girls and ninth grade urban girls. One manifestation of severe depression is suicide. Eberhardt, Ingram, Makuc, et al. (2002) reported a slightly higher frequency of depression among ninth grade girls in rural areas (5.7 percent) than among ninth grade girls in urban areas (5.4 percent). Suicide ideation among all ninth grade girls, however, was much higher (24.9 percent). Unfortunately, the Centers for Disease Control Study reported b

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t possible to understand behavior merely by studying people whose behavior is labeled is a specific way (Vold & Bernard, 1993). Rather, such behavior must be viewed in its entire social context. In particular, the argument is that behavior can be understood only within the context of the reactions to such behavior by other people. This approach is consistent with the concept of symbolic interactionism. The key argument of symbolic interactionism is that human actions are understood best in terms of the meaning that those actions have for the actors, rather than in terms of pre-existing biological, psychological, or social conditions. These meanings are to some extent created by the individual concerned, but primarily they are derived from intimate personal interactions with other people. The interactionist paradigm views "social life as a process of interactions among individuals" (Babbie, 1992, p. 56). Symbolic interactionism emphasizes connections between shared meanings, or symbols, and actions and communications, or interactions (LaRossa & Reitzes, 1993). In relation to family studies, social interactionists conceive a family as a social group, and that, within the family as a social group, individuals develop both the
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Some common words found in the essay are:
LaRossa Reitzes, Abraham Hogg, Poulin Nicotra, Abrams Hogg, Olson Zanna, Rauch Hyman, Murray Lester, Eiser Van, Vold Bernard, Stravynski O'Connor, ninth grade, ninth grade girls, social identity, grade girls, extracurricular activities, frequency depression, collins 1985, abrams hogg, larossa reitzes, reitzes 1993, hogg 1994, larossa reitzes 1993, participation extracurricular activities, abrams hogg 1994, social identity theory,
Approximate Word count = 4511
Approximate Pages = 18 (250 words per page)

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