Factors which influence depression in adolescence

Abstract

The research explored the nature and distribution of self-reported depression among a sample of secondary school level teenagers. In addition the study examined the potential roles which stress, family relationships and attributions of locus of control might play in helping to explain adolescent depression.

Self-report measures of Perceived Control (Connell, 1985),Stressful Life Events (Swearingen and Cohen, 1986), Family Relationships (Moos and Moos, 1981) and Depression (Kovacs, 1983) were administered to groups of 12-16 years old boys and girls on two occasions, first at Time 1, when they were in First, Second, Third and Fourth Form and then one year later at Time 2, when they were in Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Form, respectively.

Between 10 to 12 per cent of adolescents were depressed at either Time 1 or Time 2. Approximately 13 per cent of adolescents were depressed on both testing occasions. This finding suggests that depression in teenagers may be less reactive or transient in nature than previous research has tended to report. The pattern of case rates and mean depression scores were not significantly affected by the variables of school Form (age) or sex. However, beginning in Form 4 there was a general trend toward females having both higher case rates and mean depression scores than males. This would tend to suggest that the sex differences in of depression or depressive symptomatology found consistently with adults may begin to emerge as early as adolescence - particularly for adolescents with a pattern of extreme depression scores.

Factor analysis of CDI scores at Time 1 yielded the following six factors: Mood, Acting-Out, Negative Self-Concept, Lack of Positive Affect, Somatic Symptoms and Guilt. The latter two factors had weak reliability. This may suggest that though prevalent in adult depression, somatic symptoms and guilt may not be as prevalent in adolescent depression. Significant sex differences were found for all factors except Mood. The finding that there are subcomponents of 'depression' together with the pattern of sex differences evidenced may be interpreted to suggest that in adolescence each sex expresses a certain 'type' of depression. Males may express associated clusters or symptoms which might be described as 'behavioural' or 'acting-out' in nature. Females may display features of depression indicating 'negative self-concept'.

Compared to other adolescents, the depressed group at Time 1 who on follow-up at Time 2 again reported being depressed belonged to families characterised by low cohesiveness and high conflict; perceived themselves as having little personal control over their lives and experienced a higher number of stressful events and also perceived events as being more stressful. However, cross-lagged correlational analysis did not support the causal role of these variables. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed.

Date of Award	1990
Original language	English