Cognitive moderators of the longitudinal association between peer rejection and adolescent depressive symptoms.
This longitudinal study examined peer rejection as a predictor of adolescent depressive symptoms during the critical developmental period associated with substantial increases in the prevalence of girls' depression. In a sample of 158 adolescents aged 15-17 years, a peer nomination, sociometric assessment was conducted to examine adolescents' peer status at an initial time point, along with self-report measures of depressive symptoms, depressogenic attributions, and peer importance. Adolescents completed a second measure of depressive symptoms 17 months later. Results were consistent with integrated cognitive vulnerability-stress and cognitive dissonance models, particularly for girls. Specifically, peer rejection was a significant prospective predictor of depressive symptoms when combined with high levels of importance ascribed to peer status and high levels of adolescents' depressogenic attributional styles.
Prinstein
Mitchell J
MJ
Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8205, USA. mitch.prinstein@yale.edu
Aikins
Julie Wargo
JW
D000293:Adolescent; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D015995:Prevalence; D012059:Rejection, Psychology