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Life events and depression in women: a structural equation model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

D. M. Fergusson  and
L. J. Horwood
D. M. Fergusson*
Affiliation:
Christchurch Child Development Study, Department of Paediatrics, Christchurch Clinical School of Medicine, New Zealand
L. J. Horwood
Affiliation:
Christchurch Child Development Study, Department of Paediatrics, Christchurch Clinical School of Medicine, New Zealand
*
1 Address for correspondence: Mr D. M. Fergusson, Christchurch Child Development Study, Department of Paediatrics, Christchurch Clinical School of Medicine, Christchurch Public Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand.
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Synopsis

A non-recursive structural equation model designed to examine the reciprocal relationship between life event reports and depressive symptoms in women is presented. The model was fitted to data from a 2-year longitudinal study of life events and depression in a sample of women with 5-year-old children. The findings suggest that life event reports may be influenced by mental state; however, even when this tendency is taken into account, there is still a substantial relationship between life events and depressive symptoms in women. This indicates that it is unlikely that the life events/depression correlation can be explained simply by a tendency for depressed women to over-report life events.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 14 , Issue 4 , November 1984 , pp. 881 - 889
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

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