A longitudinal look at the relation between depression and anxiety in children and adolescents.
Elementary school students (n = 330) and their parents (n = 228) participated in a 3-year longitudinal study of the temporal relation between anxiety and depressive symptoms in children. Every 6 months, children and parents completed depression and anxiety questionnaires for a total of 6 waves. Structural equation modeling revealed that individual differences on all measures were remarkably stable over time. Nevertheless, high levels of anxiety symptoms at 1 point in time predicted high levels of depressive symptoms at subsequent points in time even after controlling for prior levels of depression symptoms. These findings were consistent across self- and parent reports. Results support the temporal hypothesis that anxiety leads to depression in children and adolescents.
Cole
D A
DA
Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA.
Peeke
L G
LG
Martin
J M
JM
Truglio
R
R
Seroczynski
A D
AD
D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors