title: Predicting Children's Depressive Symptoms from Community and Individual Risk Factors.
abstract: Community, demographic, familial, and personal risk factors of childhood depressive symptoms were examined from an ecological theoretical approach using hierarchical linear modeling. Individual-level data were collected from an ethnically diverse (73% African-American) community sample of 197 children and their parents; community-level data were obtained from the U.S. Census regarding rates of community poverty and unemployment in participants' neighborhoods. Results indicated that high rates of community poverty and unemployment, children's depressive attributional style, and low levels of self-perceived competence predict children's depressive symptoms, even after accounting for demographic and familial risk factors, such as parental education and negative parenting behaviors. The effect of negative parenting behaviors on depressive symptoms was partially mediated by personal variables like children's self-perceived competence. Recommendations for future research, intervention and prevention programs are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, The College of William and Mary, P.O. Box 8795, Williamsburg, VA 23187, USA.
authors.forename: Danielle H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Dallaire
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ciesla
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: LaGrange
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Farrah M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Jacquez
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Ashley Q
authors.initials: AQ
authors.lastname: Pineda
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Alanna E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Truss
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Amy S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Folmer
keywords: At-risk populations; Depression; Parent–child relations