Adolescent Depression, Sensitivity to Social Feedback, and Social Functioning

Major depression is particularly prevalent in adolescence, especially for girls (Hankin & Abela, 2005). Important in this phase of life is social functioning, as it can determine a variety of factors later in life (Spear, 2011). Thus, elucidating the ways in which depression affects social functioning is of special importance. The present study was conducted with the aims of reinforcing the existing literature linking depression to deficits in social functioning for adolescent females (Aim 1) as well as identifying two important mechanisms that mediate this relation: individual differences in sensitivity to social reward and sensitivity to social punishment (Aim 2). A sample of 112 female adolescents (M = 16.89, SD = 1.47) was used to investigate whether depressive symptoms were associated with decreased approach to social reward and increased avoidance of social punishment, with each in turn related to deficits in social functioning. Moderate support for hypotheses was found using a behaviorally informed multi-method design

Differentiating anxiety and depression : a socioaffective tripartite model

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 26, 2010).The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file.Dissertation advisor: Dr. Debora Bell.Vita.Ph.D. University of Missouri--Columbia 2009.[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] The current study tested a newly-developed socioaffective tripartite model that includes family processes as potential etiological contributors to internalizing symptoms, and tested experienced affect as a potential mediator in this model. As a corollary, the construct of family savoring of positive events was developed as one potential family factor that may differentiate anxiety and depression. Study aims were tested in two developmentally distinct samples: (a) 134 7th through 9th grade adolescents and their primary female caretaker, and (b) 112 first-year undergraduate students. Participants completed measures of emotion-related family processes, experienced affect, and anxiety and depression symptoms. Results suggested that a family environment characterized by maternal psychological control and family expressiveness of negative emotions predicted greater levels of both anxiety and depression and this relation was mediated by increased experienced negative affect. On the other hand, a family emotional environment characterized by low maternal sensitivity, low expressiveness of positive emotions, and few specific attempts to savor positive events, predicted only greater levels of depression, and this relation was partially mediated through lowered experienced positive affect. These unique relations were demonstrated in the adolescent family sample and then replicated in the sample of first-year college students. Implications for future research and treatment interventions that include families and that are tailored specifically for anxiety and depression are discussed.Includes bibliographical reference

Predicting Difficulties in Youth’s Friendships: Are Anxiety Symptoms as Damaging as Depressive Symptoms?

Youth’s friendships serve important functions in development; however, internalizing symptoms may undermine these relationships. Two studies are presented that examine the association of depressive and anxiety symptoms with friendship adjustment. Study 1 tested concurrent effects and Study 2 tested prospective effects over 6 months. Like past studies, depressive symptoms predicted greater problems in friendships. However, anxiety symptoms generally did not and, in some cases, actually predicted positive friendship adjustment. The results suggest that the friendships of youth with depressive symptoms should be targeted for intervention, but that incorporating the friendship strengths of anxious youth in interventions could be helpful for reducing these youth’s anxiety. The results also caution researchers studying the interplay between friendships and internalizing symptoms against collapsing across assessments of depressive and anxiety symptoms