Publication year
2012
Citation Title
Multi-wave prospective examination of the stress-reactivity extension of response styles theory of depression in high-risk children and early adolescents.
Journal Name
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
Journal Volume
40
Issue Number
2
Page Numbers
277-287
DOI
10.1007/s10802-011-9563-x
Summary
There are many factors that affect depression onset and expression in adolescents, specifically, how thought patterns and behavior change in response to negative life events. The study examined the effect of age, sex, and type of thought patterns on individuals’ depressive symptoms given a negative event. Regardless of age, passively and repetitively focusing on negative life events increased depressive symptoms in girls but not in boys.
Key Findings
Adolescents who spent significant time dwelling on negative life events experienced an increase in depression symptom severity.
Girls were more likely than boys to dwell on negative life events.
Age did not seem to influence dwelling on negative events and depression symptomology.
Implications for Military Professionals
Work with parents diagnosed with depression to identify whether their children are at-risk for depression
Encourage youth at-risk for depression to visit mental health professionals in their school or community
Implications for Program Leaders
Host workshops and other activities for youth on how to reduce stress resulting from negative life events
Teach youth different strategies to help them cope with negative emotions and build resilience
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage education for school and program faculty to be aware of youth stress responses and cognitive vulnerabilities that increase the risk of depression in youth
Encourage education for professionals who work with military families to be aware of youth stress responses and cognitive vulnerabilities that increase the risk of depression in youth
Methods
Data were collected by self-report at six random times over a period of two months via handheld laptops.
Participants answered a self-report questionnaire about the level of hassles in their life, dwelling on negative events, and their depressive symptoms.
The effects of age and sex on the association between depression symptoms and dwelling on negative events were analyzed.
Participants
Participants (N = 56), aged 7-14 (M = 10.6) years old, were recruited from a previous study that examined the effects of parental depression on children.
Racial and ethnic composition was White (80%), Multiracial (17%), Native American (2%), and Asian American (2%).
Sibling pairs were excluded from the study.
Limitations
The self-report method used may lead to a bias in answers from inaccurate conclusions about oneself.
The participant pool is from a study on parents with depression and therefore the children in this study may have additional genetic vulnerabilities to depression that make the study’s results less generalizable.
Focusing on past negative life events for self-report measures may unintentionally increase the amount of time participants spent focusing on reported negative life events.
Avenues for Future Research
Identify the effects of dwelling on negative events on depression symptomology in adolescents using interviews
Measure the effect of negative thought processes in adolescents on other mental health disorders such as anxiety
Repeat the study with a larger, more diverse, and random sample from the community to increase the results generalizability
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
"The current study tested the stress-reactivity extension of response styles theory of depression (Nolen- Hoeksema Journal of Abnormal Psychology 100:569–582, 1991) in a sample of high-risk children and early adolescents from a vulnerability-stress perspective using a
multi-wave longitudinal design. In addition, we examined whether obtained results varied as a function of either age or sex. During an initial assessment, 56 high-risk children (offspring of depressed parents, ages 7–14) completed measures assessing rumination and depressive symptoms. Children were subsequently given a handheld personal computer which signaled them to complete measures assessing depressive symptoms and negative events at six randomly selected times over an 8-week follow-up interval. In line with hypotheses, higher levels of rumination were associated with prospective elevations in depressive symptoms following the occurrence of negative events. Sex, but not age, moderated this association. Rumination was more strongly associated with elevations in depressive symptoms following the occurrence of negative events in girls than in boys."
multi-wave longitudinal design. In addition, we examined whether obtained results varied as a function of either age or sex. During an initial assessment, 56 high-risk children (offspring of depressed parents, ages 7–14) completed measures assessing rumination and depressive symptoms. Children were subsequently given a handheld personal computer which signaled them to complete measures assessing depressive symptoms and negative events at six randomly selected times over an 8-week follow-up interval. In line with hypotheses, higher levels of rumination were associated with prospective elevations in depressive symptoms following the occurrence of negative events. Sex, but not age, moderated this association. Rumination was more strongly associated with elevations in depressive symptoms following the occurrence of negative events in girls than in boys."
Abstract Document
Attach