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Self-regulation, rumination, and vulnerability to depression in adolescent girls

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 August 2006

ALISON A. PAPADAKIS ,
REBECCA P. PRINCE ,
NEIL P. JONES  and
TIMOTHY J. STRAUMAN
ALISON A. PAPADAKIS
Affiliation:
Loyola College in Maryland
REBECCA P. PRINCE
Affiliation:
Teachers College, Columbia University
NEIL P. JONES
Affiliation:
Duke University
TIMOTHY J. STRAUMAN
Affiliation:
Duke University
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Abstract

There is increasing evidence that with the onset of adolescence, girls experience higher rates of depression than boys. However, a comprehensive understanding of the risk factors contributing to this emerging gender difference has yet to be attained. Previous studies indicate that both self-discrepancy, the perception that one is failing to attain an important personal goal, and ruminative coping, a tendency to passively and repetitively focus on one's failure and the causes and consequences of that failure, contribute to depression and that adolescent girls are more likely to manifest each than adolescent boys. In this translational study we tested the hypothesis that, whereas both actual:ideal discrepancy and ruminative coping style would independently predict depression in adolescent girls, the combination of high levels of actual:ideal discrepancy and ruminative coping would predict more severe depressive symptoms. Analyses of cross-sectional data in a sample of 223 girls ranging from 7th through 12th grades revealed a significant main effect for ruminative coping style and a trend for actual:ideal discrepancy, as well as the predicted interaction effect. We discuss the implications of this integrative psychosocial model for the etiology, treatment, and prevention of depression in adolescent girls.This work was funded by the following grants to A. A. Papadakis: the Duke University Women's Studies Program Ernestine Friedl Research Award, the Society for the Psychology of Women Hyde Graduate Student Research Grant, and the Duke University Graduate School Summer Research Fellowship; and grants to T. J. Strauman from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH59106, MH67447). Support was also provided by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (5-T32-HD007376) and the Duke University Initiative on Child and Family Health. We thank Ann Aspnes, Janina Brodsky, Kimberly Burdette, Tsu-Yin Chang, Lindsay Derman, Hillary Hays, Caitlin Hogan, Cara Kimberg, Patricia Kuo, Lori Kwapil, Ruby Lekwauwa, Megan McCrudden, Ellen McGinnis, Amy Noll McLean, Keri-Ann O'Leary, Rebecca Parrish, Dana Torpey, Emily Traupman, Carolyn Yarian, and Natalie Zervas for their invaluable assistance in conducting this study. We are grateful to the students, teachers, and administration of the schools and summer camp who generously participated in this research.

Type
Research Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , September 2006 , pp. 815 - 829
Copyright
© 2006 Cambridge University Press

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