Fatalism and risk of adolescent depression.
This research examined fatalism, the belief in external control over life chances, as a risk factor for adolescent depression. Data were analyzed from a large (N = 5,423) sample of adolescents attending middle school in an ethnically diverse community in the southwest. It was hypothesized that adolescents who demonstrated greater fatalism would have a higher risk for depression. Bivariate associations between fatalism and depression were substantial, with an odds ratio (OR) of nearly 25 for depression with impairment and nearly 13 for depression without impairment. Adjustment for the effects of 10 covariates drawn from three domains (status attributes, stressors, and personal/social resources) essentially eliminated the association between fatalism and depression with impairment. However, the OR was still 2.6. The significant association between fatalism and depression without impairment (OR = 2.7) remained after adjustment for covariates. The results provide further support for models of depression which emphasize the role of psychosocial deficits. In this case, we found depression was associated not only with greater fatalism but also greater pessimism, lower self-esteem, more passive coping, and less social support.
Roberts
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Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center, PO Box 20186, Houston, TX 77225, USA.
Roberts
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Chen
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D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D012938:Social Perception; D012944:Social Support; D013781:Texas