In this dissertation study, cognitive vulnerability, characterized by negative patterns of thinking, was shown to be positively correlated with the prevalence and number of negative life events and increased depressive symptoms in young adolescents. The three cognitive vulnerabilities found to be correlated with increased depressive symptoms were 1) dysfunctional attitudes (negative biases about self or events), 2) negative inferential style (inferences about cause, consequence, and one's ability to influence the outcome of an event), and 3) ruminative response style (attention is fixated on one's emotional state). The relationships between cognitive vulnerability, negative life events, and number of depressive symptoms were not significantly different by age, gender, or ethnicity. However, adolescents from lower socioeconomic backgrounds reported significantly more dysfunctional attitudes and more negative life events within the family. This study provides important information about the unique contribution of cognitive vulnerabilities to prevalence and number of depressive symptoms in young adolescents. This knowledge is needed to increase awareness that screening and preventative efforts need to be initiated early before adolescents develop persistent negative patterns of thinking and multiple depressive symptoms.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VANDERBILT/oai:VANDERBILTETD:etd-03312010-151456 |
| Date | 16 April 2010 |
| Creators | Calloway, Cara Suzanne |
| Contributors | Lynda LaMontagne, Nancy Wells, Mary Dietrich, Tarah Kuhn |
| Publisher | VANDERBILT |
| Source Sets | Vanderbilt University Theses |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.vanderbilt.edu/available/etd-03312010-151456/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to Vanderbilt University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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