Depressive Symptoms and Decision Making among African American Youth

Abstract

Childhood and adolescent depression has emerged as a public health concern because of its impairment of functioning, particularly in the domains of decision making and self-efficacy. The present investigation examines the association between depressive symptoms and decision coping patterns among a nonreferred, nonclinical community sample of 276 low-income African American adolescents. The students ranged in age from 12 to 17 years. The Children's Depression Inventory was used to assess participants'depressive symptomatology. The Flinders Adolescent Decision Making Questionnaire was used for assessing participants' decision coping patterns. The instrument was group administered in classroom settings by the research staff. Findings indicated a significant association between depressive symptomatology and the use of maladaptive decision coping patterns. Perhaps increasing competence in decision making may have beneficial effects on overall mood and depressive symptoms among children and adolescents.

Decision Making Styles: A Systematic Review of Their Associations with Parenting

“…The presence of stress leads to diminished attempts to consider alternatives when faced with a situation in which a decision needs to be taken (Okwumabua et al 2003). Maladaptive decision making furthermore brings about indecisiveness and a lack of interest and concern about the best course of action that needs to be taken in the decision making process (Friedman and Mann 1993;Okwumabua et al 2003) Sovet and Metz (2014) and Koumoundourou et al (2011): in these studies, the difficulties in the decision making process considered the following as being present (1) lack of motivation, (2) general indecisiveness about the course of action to take, (3) dysfunctional beliefs about the satisfaction of the decisional process at hand, (4) lack of sufficient information about the course of action to be taken negatively associated with negative parenting approaches. Positive parenting approaches were also negatively associated with maladaptive decision making for French participants in one of the intercontinental studies (Sovet and Metz 2014).…”

“…On the other hand, maladaptive decision making styles are those often with diminished attempts to consider alternatives when faced with a situation, or with attempts that do not always have the best course of action in mind (Okwumabua et al 2003). When considering the decision making styles presented in this review, the most prevalent decision making style was the maladaptive form of decision making.…”

Covariation des styles décisionnels : perception d’échec cognitif, estime de soi ou traits de personnalité ?

“…Ainsi donc, la littérature sur les corrélats des styles décisionnels se concentre surtout sur la procrastination décisionnelle (Berzonsky & Ferrari, 1996 ;Beswick & Mann, 1994 ;Blunt & Pychyl, 1998 ;Effert & Ferrari, 1989 ;Ferrari, 1991aFerrari, , 1991bFerrari, , 1994Ferrari, , 2000Ferrari & Emmons, 1995 ;Ferrari & McCown, 1994 ;Harriot, Ferrari & Dovidio, 1996 ;Laethem et al, 2003 ;Milgram & Tenne, 2000 ;Nota & Soresi, 2000b ;Schuller, 1999 ;Watson, 2001) alors que les recherches relatives aux trois autres styles (évitement, vigilance, hypervigilance), sont moins nombreuses (Berzonsky & Ferrari, 1996 ;Friedman & Mann, 1993 ;Johnson, 1994 ;Okwumabua, Wong & Duryea, 2003 ;Radford et al, 1993 ;Nota & Soresi, 2000b ;Wesley, 1994). Ferrari, 1991aFerrari, , 1991bFerrari, , 1994Ferrari, , 2000.…”

“…Berzonsky et Ferrari (1996) Frydenberg et Lewis (1993). Okwumabua et al (2003), pour leur part, ont relevé une relation direct entre symptômes dépressifs et utilisation des styles décisionnels désadaptifs.…”

Adolescent perception of fun in learning decision making skills

“…Confidence with decision making also helps to alleviate depressive symptoms and much of the stress associated with tough choices (Okwumabua, Wong & Duryea, 2003;Rollin eta!. , 2000).…”