Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents: Testing Vulnerability-Stress and Protective Models in the Context of COVID-19

Adolescents who experience negative life events may be at risk for depression, particularly those with psychosocial vulnerabilities. We investigate longitudinally the impact of vulnerability/protective factors on the relation between a large-scale negative life event, the COVID-19 pandemic, and depr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Child psychiatry and human development 2022-12, Vol.53 (6), p.1372-1382
Main Authors: Gladstone, Tracy R. G., Schwartz, Jennifer A. J., Pössel, Patrick, Richer, Amanda M., Buchholz, Katherine R., Rintell, L. Sophia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Child and School Psychology
Cognition
Cognitive ability
Cognitive style
COVID-19
Distance learning
Mental depression
Negative events
Negative life events
Original
Original Article
Pandemics
Protective factors
Psychiatry
Psychological distress
Psychology
Psychosocial factors
Resilience
Teenagers
Vulnerability
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Summary:Adolescents who experience negative life events may be at risk for depression, particularly those with psychosocial vulnerabilities. We investigate longitudinally the impact of vulnerability/protective factors on the relation between a large-scale negative life event, the COVID-19 pandemic, and depressive symptoms. Adolescents (N = 228, M age  = 14.5 years, 53% female, 73% white) self-reported depressive symptoms 2–4 months before the pandemic (Time 1), and again 2 months following stay-at-home orders (Time 2). At T2, adolescents also completed measures of vulnerability, protective factors, and COVID-19-related distress. Depressive symptoms increased at T2, and COVID-19 distress interacted with resilience and negative cognitive style in predicting increases in T2 depression. Focusing on vulnerability and protective factors in adolescents distressed by large scale negative life events appears crucial.
ISSN:0009-398X
1573-3327
DOI:10.1007/s10578-021-01216-4