Beck's cognitive diathesis-stress theory has generated much research into the etiology of depression. Central to the theory are depressogenic schemata that interact with stressors, resulting in increases in depressive symptomatology. These schemata are commonly assessed using the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS). Importantly, the DAS was not designed for use in children---it has been validated with adults and contains advanced language. Thus, the Child and Adolescent Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (CADAS) was developed. / Study 1 sought to psychometrically validate the CADAS. 453 children completed the CADAS item pool and measures assessing divergent validity. The CADAS was readministered 3 weeks later. Items were retained based on item-total correlations, internal consistency, and factor analyses. The finalized CADAS is a 22-item self-report measure with a unidimensional factor structure and sound psychometric properties. / Study 2 tested Beck's theory using the CADAS to assess depressogenic schemata as a vulnerability factor for depression. An independent sample of 241 children completed the CADAS and a measure of depression one week before receiving school report cards (Time 1). The morning after receiving reports (Time 2), stress was assessed by obtaining parents' reactions to reports, and with an index of children's subjective acceptable grades compared to actual grades. Five days later (Time 3), depression was reassessed. / As hypothesized, regression analyses collapsing across age revealed that Time 1 CADAS interacted with Time 2 parental stress to predict changes in depression from Times 1 to 3. High-CADAS children showed greater increases in depression relative to low-CADAS children when facing the stress of parental anger and disappointment regarding their grades. Consistent with cognitive-developmental theory, planned supplemental analyses indicated that the CADAS x stress interaction predicted depressive changes only in older, formal-operational children. The relationship between the CADAS x stress interaction and depressive changes was mediated by negative views of the self, but not by views of the world or of the future. / This work yields a measure of depressogenic schemata in school-aged children that further contributes to understanding their etiology of depression. These schemata, together with negative views of oneself, may be important targets for modification in the cognitive therapy of childhood depression.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.84500 |
| Date | January 2004 |
| Creators | D'Alessandro, David U. |
| Contributors | Koestner, Richard (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Psychology.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 002151571, proquestno: AAINQ98233, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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