Exploring Modeling-based Hypotheses in Preadolescent Girls’ and Boys’ Cognitive Vulnerability to Depression

Abstract

In a community sample of 163 children (ages 9-12) and their mothers, we explored modelingbased hypotheses that may underlie how cognitive vulnerability components to depression (negative cognitive triad and negative attributional style) are transmitted from mother to preadolescent children. Results found mothers' negative cognitive triad partially mediated the relation between mothers' depressive symptoms and children's negative cognitive triad. Moreover, mothers' negative cognitive triad was uniquely and significantly related to children's negative cognitive triad, after statistically adjusting for the effects of mothers' depressive and anxiety symptoms in our full sample, as well as in a subsample of our mothers with more depressive symptoms. Most importantly, in our full sample and our subsamples with more depressive symptoms, the amount of time that mothers reported spending with their children moderated the relation between mothers' and children's negative cognitive triad, with significantly stronger relations found between mothers' and children's negative cognitive triad when mothers reported spending higher in comparison to lower amounts of time spent together. Our modeling-based hypotheses with respect to attributional style, and child sex, were not supported. Implications of our findings for further understanding of family-based modeling mechanisms of risk, and directions for future research, are highlighted.

Differentiating parent- and peer-related interpersonal correlates of depressive symptoms and social anxiety in preadolescent girls

“…Therefore, our sample was largely upper-middle SES. Based on similarly recruited samples of mother-child dyads from our research lab with data collected shortly after this study, it is estimated that at least 80 percent of the mothers in the current study were married and the majority (97% or more) were the girls' biological mothers (c.f., percentage married = 86%, 80%, and 91% and percentage biological = 97%, 99%, and 97% in Romero & Epkins (2008), Blount & Epkins (2009), and Davis & Epkins (in press), respectively). The participants were not paid or compensated in any way, and only one child per family participated in the study.…”

Children's perceptions of the relationship with the teacher: Associations with appraisals and internalizing problems in middle childhood

“…The Children's Attribution Style Questionnaire (CASQ) is the most often used measurement of children's attributions, but this questionnaire measures all kinds of attributions and has a forced choice answering format, two factors that seem to cause low internal consistencies (Blount & Epkins, 2009;Gibb & Abela, 2008;Reijntjes, Dekovic, Vermande, & Telch, 2008;Seligman et al, 1984;Shih, Abela, & Starrs, 2009) and make the questionnaire unsuitable for the current study. We developed a new, teacher-related appraisal scale.…”

Integrating Etiological Models of Social Anxiety and Depression in Youth: Evidence for a Cumulative Interpersonal Risk Model

“…One such mechanism includes exposure to a mother who models negative or depressive behavior, affect, and cognitions, and literature is accruing in support of this mechanism (see Blount and Epkins 2009;Goodman 2007). Another possible mechanism is the negative effects that depression has on parenting and the parent-child relationship.…”