Age-Related Effects on Self-Focused Attention Across Adolescence and the Relationship With Symptoms of Body Dysmorphia, Social Anxiety and Depression

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Adolescence is a critical period for the development of several emotional disorders, including body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), social anxiety disorder (SAD) and depression. It has been suggested that this may be partly due to developmental changes in self-referential processing, including self-focused attention (SFA). However, to date little is known about normative changes in self-focused attention across adolescence. This study investigated age-related effects on SFA during adolescence, and its relationship with symptoms of BDD, SAD and depression. METHODS: A sample of 638 adolescents aged 11-18 years (53% male) were recruited through government-funded secondary school students in the United Kingdom and completed validated self-reported measures of SFA, BDD, SAD and depression. RESULTS: Age was positively associated with SFA, and with symptoms of BDD, SAD and depression. The associations of age with SFA, SAD and depression were, on average, greater in females, although this age by sex interaction effect only reached statistical significance for BDD symptoms. SFA fully mediated the effect of age on SAD symptoms, and partially mediated age effects on symptoms of BDD and depression. CONCLUSIONS: The current findings indicate that self-focused attention increases during adolescence. Moreover, findings provide support for the notion that increased self-focused attention may partly account for the rise in symptoms of BDD, SAD and depression during this developmental period. Future research should seek to establish the direction of effects between self-focused attention and symptoms using longitudinal designs