Distress Tolerance Interacts With Negative Life Events to Predict Depressive Symptoms Across Adolescence

Abstract

Adolescence is a vulnerable period for the development of depressive disorders. Recent research has demonstrated the importance of distress tolerance in the onset and maintenance of depression during adulthood; however, little is known about its role in predicting depressive symptoms among adolescents. The current study examines the effect of distress tolerance and co-occurring negative life events on the developmental trajectory of depressive symptoms from middle to late adolescence. Our sample included 117 adolescent boys and girls (44.4% female, 54.6% White). Participants were, on average, 16 years old at baseline (SD = 0.90) and completed self-report inventories of negative life events and depressive symptoms; distress tolerance was assessed using a behavioral measure. Utilizing a latent growth curve approach, we found a significant interaction between distress tolerance and negative life events in predicting increases in depressive symptoms over time. Follow-up analyses suggest that negative life events were associated with greater increases in depressive symptoms over time for adolescents with lower levels of distress tolerance only. The study highlights the moderating role of distress intolerance in the relation between negative life events and depressive symptoms, and underscores the importance of targeting distress tolerance for treating depression among youth.

Distress tolerance and symptoms of depression: A review and integration of literatures

“…DT may be negatively associated with depressive symptoms due to an interaction between DT and stressful events, such that individuals with perceived difficulty tolerating distress engage in maladaptive forms of coping in the face of distress (Felton et al, 2018;Macatee et al, 2016;O'Cleirigh et al, 2007). Distress tolerance may also relate to the ability to tolerate potential positive outcomes, a line of research gaining increased focus in the depression literature, but not yet integrated into theories of distress tolerance (Winer & Salem, 2016).…”

“…Though our example includes an individual in the absence of stress, it is unlikely that such an individual exists in the real world, and because of this, one's ability to tolerate distress emerges as an essential component of functioning in day-to-day life. Indeed, an interaction between stressful and/or negative life events and DT on symptoms of depression has been found in both cross-sectional (O'Cleirigh et al, 2007) and longitudinal (Felton et al, 2018;Macatee et al, 2016) studies, indicating that the degree to which stressful and/or negative events leads to symptoms of depression depends on one's ability to tolerate distress. Macatee et al (2016) examined the interaction between DT and stressful events on symptoms of depression while also exploring additional factors.…”

“…Several studies display an important interaction between DT and the experience of distress (Felton et al, 2018;Macatee et al, 2016;O'Cleirigh et al, 2007), indicating that one's ability to cope effectively with stressors hinges on one's ability to tolerate distress. Individuals who find it difficult to tolerate distress may engage in maladaptive forms of coping, which may ultimately result in increased symptoms of depression.…”

The Mediating Role of Distress Tolerance in the Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and Mental Health Outcomes Among University Students

“…Those with higher DT were more likely to be in the remitting symptom group. Further to this, research has shown that stressful life events throughout adolescence impact those with lower DT more greatly with this group more likely to suffer subsequent depressive symptoms (Felton et al, 2018). It is believed that DT is established in childhood and this may have implication for subsequent mental health trajectories (Felton et al, 2018).…”

Transactional patterns of depressive symptoms between mothers and adolescents: The role of emotion regulation

“…DT has been associated with subsequent youth depressive symptoms, both directly and as moderated by stressful events (Felton et al, 2017(Felton et al, , 2019. Studies have also found that adolescent girls are particularly impaired in maintaining approach behaviors in the face of distress compared to boys (Neumann et al, 2010) and a positive relation between maternal DT and DT in daughters (Daughters et al, 2014).…”