Characteristics of adolescent girls with depressive symptoms in a so-called "normal' sample.
OBJECTIVE
Forty-four percent of adolescent girls who had been screened for absence of psychiatric disorder reported depressive symptoms on a structured interview. Girls reporting symptoms were assigned to a depression group and compared to those who were free of depressive symptoms on behavioral and neuropsychological measures to determine if there were meaningful differences in cognition, behavior and motivation/self-perception between groups.


METHODS
Adolescent girls were randomly selected from local schools to participate in a study of neuropsychological development in adolescence. Those who volunteered and whose parents reported them to be free of psychiatric disorders were enrolled and completed a battery of behavioral, neuropsychological and motivation/self-perception measures.


RESULTS
The depressed group showed more behavioral problems, evaluated themselves as less competent, showed more extrinsic motivational orientation, had lower IQ and differed on a measure of visual spatial perception.


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency of subclinical depression is high in adolescent girls, even when parents report no psychiatric/emotional problems. The increase in problem behaviors and extrinsic motivation, as well as the decrease in feelings of self-worth suggest that this group may benefit from intervention. Poorer performance on a measure of visual spatial perception needs further investigation to confirm its association with depression and understand its relationship to depressive symptoms.
McClure
E
E
Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 78284-7792, USA.
Rogeness
G A
GA
Thompson
N M
NM
D000293:Adolescent; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D009042:Motivation; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D012919:Social Behavior