title: The contribution of social rank and attachment theory to depression in a non clinical sample of adolescents.
abstract: This study explores the relative contribution of the overall quality of attachment to the mother, to the father and to peers (Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment scales), the style of attachment towards peers (Attachment Questionnaire for Children scale), the social rank variables (submissive behavior and social comparison), and sex and age variables in predicting the depression score (Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale) on a non-psychiatric sample of 13-18 year old adolescents (n = 225). Results of our integrated model (adjusted R-Square of .50) show that attachment variables (overall quality of attachment to the father and to the mother), social rank variables (social comparison and submissive behavior), age and sex are important in predicting depressive symptoms during adolescence. Moreover, the attachment to peers variables (quality of attachment to peers, secure and ambivalent style of attachment) and sex are mediated by the social rank variables (social comparison and submissive behavior).
authors: Département Psychologies et cliniques des systèmes humains, Boulevard du Rectorat, 3 (B33) 4000 Liège, Belgium. sylviapinna@gmail.com
authors: Sylvia Pinna
authors: SP
authors: Puissant
authors: Jean-Marie
authors: JM
authors: Gauthier
authors: Robin
authors: R
authors: Van Oirbeek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005260:Female; D006608:Hierarchy, Social; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009769:Object Attachment; D010379:Peer Group; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D019962:Reactive Attachment Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D012737:Sex Factors