Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-129). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2003. / Advisor: Jeanette Taylor, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Psychology. Title and description from dissertation home page (Apr. 9, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

While child and adolescent depressive disorders have been historically studied as a downward extension of adult depression, recent research has supported the existence of child and adolescent depression as a distinct disorder and has indicated important developmental differences in symptomatology (Birmaher, Ryan, Williamson, Brent, & Kaufman, 1996; Lewinsohn, Hops, Roberts, Seeley, & Andrews, 1993), as well as greater intensity and endurance of depressive disorders in childhood and adolescence than in adults (Jensen, Ryan, & Prien, 1992). Continued research with adolescence is particularly necessary because such symptomatology can manifest in self destructive or even life threatening behaviors. Symptoms such as depressed mood, irritability, and diminished interest in activities can lead to cognitive, familial, and social problems (Hammen & Rudolph, 1996). There is a particular need to investigate ways to identify individuals at risk for depression, and highlighting interactions between risk factors could make this possible. Childhood and adolescent investigations have under-examined the self-schema and its possible ability to moderate the effect of negative life events on depression. The current study investigated the role of life events as an element that, when combined with distorted and negative cognitions relating to the self, would increase the existence of depressive symptomatology in adolescents. Self-schemas, life events, and interactions of both variables were examined as predictors of the severity of depressive symptomatology in 9- to 14-year old girls in two public school districts in Central Texas. Participants completed a self-report measure of depression, a projective measure of the self-schema, a self-report measure of life events, and a diagnostic interview. As expected, a negative self-schema significantly predicted level of depressive symptomatology. However, the experience of adverse life events did not predict level of depressive symptomatology. Additionally, while analyses demonstrated that adverse life events and negative self-schema together predicted the severity of depressive symptoms to a statistically significant degree, the interaction of the two independent variables did not predict severity of depressive symptoms. Implications of the results, limitations, and recommendations for future research are provided. / text

A growing number of school-aged children experience or are at risk for myriad psychological and behavioral problems such as anxiety and depression that interfere with their interpersonal relationships, school performance, and potential to become productive citizens--hence, the critical nature of early prevention and intervention in schools. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of AMISTAD, a social and emotional program focusing on the prevention of anxiety and depression of four groups of students. Eight schools from a northern city in México were randomly selected and assigned to either an intervention or monitoring condition. Sixteen teachers implemented the intervention, and 16 served as control. Participants were 1,030 fourth- and fifth-grade students (ages 9-11), including 131 children with learning disabilities (LD). Children in the intervention group received the program and learned about relaxation techniques, coping with difficulties, positive thinking, and interpersonal skills, among others. For analysis, the sample was divided into four nonoverlapping groups: children diagnosis-free for anxiety and non-LD, children at risk for anxiety and non-LD, children at risk for anxiety with LD, and children diagnosis-free for anxiety with LD. The impact of the program was evaluated immediately after the intervention and after 6 months. Results showed statistically significant improvements of small impact for the overall sample and for children diagnosis-free for anxiety and non-LD, in that those receiving the program decreased the severity of their depressive symptoms, the number of children at risk for depression decreased, and these children increased their proactive coping skills. For children already showing risk for anxiety and/or LD, the program in the current format did not produce meaningful changes. Therefore, adaptations regarding culture, mode of delivery, and content should be incorporated in order to better meet these children’s needs. Finally, this study confirms the importance of prevention, as in the current study, almost 1 out of 5 children reported clinical depression, and it appears that without intervention, these symptoms will escalate over time. / text

Previous research demonstrates a marked increase in the occurrence of depression during adolescence, particularly for females. Research has found that this phenomenon is associated with the development of beliefs about the self, world, and future (known as the cognitive triad), which constitutes a potential cognitive vulnerability to depression. Research has also demonstrated that family characteristics, such as cohesion, communication, conflict, social/recreational activity, negative life events, and maternal depression are all related to depression and the development of a negative cognitive style. The purpose of the current study was to build upon previous literature on negative life events, family and cognitive correlates of depression in youth, and analyze specific cognitive-interpersonal pathways to depression for girls transitioning from childhood to adolescence. 194 girls ranging in age from 8 to 14 participated in the study, along with their mothers. Participants completed self-report measures of family environment, beliefs about the self, world, and future, and negative life events. Mothers completed a self-report measure of psychopathology. Participants also completed a diagnostic interview, which served as the primary measure of depressive symptoms. As found in similar studies and consistent with Beck’s theory of depression, daughter’s reports of cognitive triad predicted the severity of her depressive symptom severity. Moreover, the cognitive triad was found to be the mediating variable in the model; family variables affected daughter’s beliefs, which then affected depressive symptom severity. Specifically, girls who endorsed higher family conflict and lower social/recreational activity reported a more negative cognitive triad and subsequently higher levels of depression. Additionally, negative life events significantly affected cognitive triad and indirectly affected depressive symptoms via cognitive triad. Also, the interaction of negative life events and cognitive triad significantly affected depression. Further results indicated that the self subscale of the cognitive triad is a particularly important factor in this model of depression. Contrary to what was expected, mother’s reports of depressive symptoms did not predict daughter’s cognitive triad or depressive symptoms. Implications of these results, limitations, and recommendations for future research are provided. / text

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Thesis (MPsy(Clinical))--University of South Australia, 2002.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-06, Section: A, page: 2314. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-134).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Psychology, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.