Relevance of the Tripartite Dimensions of Affect for Anxiety and Depression in Youth: Examining Sex and Psychopathology Status

Abstract

Using a combined sample (N=1,215) of referred children and children from the general population aged between 8 and 14 years, the present study addressed two research goals: First, latent mean differences (depending on the individual's sex or psychopathology level) in anxiety, depression, Positive Affect (PA), Negative Affect (NA) and Physiological Hyperarousal (PH) were examined. Secondly, the structure of anxiety and depression was investigated from a tripartite model perspective in boys and girls with high versus low levels of psychopathology respectively. When relating the latent mean level differences in NA, PA, and PH with those in anxiety and depression, the results suggest that higher levels (depending on the individual's sex and psychopathology status) of anxiety or depression are associated with higher levels of PH and lower levels of PA, whereas no consistent pattern was found between mean level differences in NA on the one hand and mean level differences in anxiety/depression on the other. Results further demonstrated that a better fit was obtained for the dual than for the unitary construct representation in boys or girls with high or low levels of psychopathology, thereby suggesting that a valid distinction can be made between anxiety and depression in children between 8 and 14 years old, irrespective of their sex or level of psychopathology. However, when looking at the structural relations of the dual construct representation of anxiety and depression with NA, PA and PH in each of the four groups separately, it became evident that the PH and PA tripartite dimensions could not account for the unique aspects of anxiety and depression respectively. Moreover, PH rather than NA was found to be common for anxiety and depression.

Symptom differentiation of anxiety and depression across youth development and clinic-referred/nonreferred samples: An examination of competing factor structures of the Child Behavior Checklist DSM-oriented scales

“…In addition, some research indicates that as emotions become more specific and outcome dependent with development, children's increasingly sophisticated attributions result in previously undifferentiated feelings states (e.g., anxiety or depression; Weiner & Graham, 1988). Based on this theory, De Bolle, Decuyper, De Clercq, and De Fruyt (2010) suggest that younger children who experience problems of depression or anxiety are likely to report a general malaise. Later in development, specific symptoms may be attributed to specific environmental entities or may be interpreted as signs of imminent danger, which may result in specific fears or phobias and generalized anxiety, respectively.…”

Trait anxiety reduces affective fading for both positive and negative autobiographical memories

“…Second, there is reason to expect that an FAB-anxiety relation will exist. For example, remember that dysphoria has already been explored in FAB research, and empirical evidence documents a robust association between depressive symptoms and anxiety ( De Bolle, Decuyper, De Clercq, & De Fruyt, 2010 ; Fajkowska, 2013 ; Judah et al, 2013 ). Third, anxiety is seen by some as reflecting an emotion-regulation deficit associated with excessive worry (see Behar, DiMarco, Hekler, Mohlman, & Staples, 2009 ; Orgeta, 2011 ).…”

Affective Determinants of Anxiety and Depression Development in Children and Adolescents: An Individual Growth Curve Analysis

“…Moreover, their samples did not allow for the explicit test of clinical status or sex as a moderator. Nevertheless, research has indicated meaningful mean level differences between boys and girls and between community and referred children with respect to anxiety, depression, and the tripartite dimensions [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. Therefore, it would be interesting to investigate whether and to what extent these mean-level sex and referred status differences affect the associations between anxiety and depression on the one hand and the tripartite dimensions on the other.…”