Contingency-competence-control-related beliefs and symptoms of anxiety and depression in a young adolescent sample.
The present study examined the connection between contingency-competence-control-related beliefs, on the one hand, and anxiety and depression, on the other hand, in a large sample of young adolescents aged 10 to 14 years (N = 214). Participants completed measures of perceived contingency, competence, and control, as well as a questionnaire assessing symptoms of common anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder. Results showed that contingency-competence-control-related beliefs were intercorrelated and that these beliefs, in turn, were significantly associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression. Structural equation modeling provided support for a model in which perceived contingency and perceived competence predicted perceived control and in which perceived competence (anxiety and depression) and perceived control (depression only), in turn, predicted symptoms of psychopathology. A prospective test of this model indicated that none of the contingency-competence-control-related beliefs was able to predict symptoms of anxiety and depression at 4-weeks follow-up. However, data also demonstrated that perceived competence significantly contributed to the subjective experience of anxiety and depression on both occasions.
Muris
Peter
P
Department of Medical, Clinical, and Experimental Psychology, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. p.muris@dep.unimaas.nl
Schouten
Erik
E
Meesters
Cor
C
Gijsbers
Hanneke
H
D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003469:Culture; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires