Latent classes of trait affect and cognitive affective regulation strategies are associated with depression, non-suicidal self-injury, and well-being.

BACKGROUND: The present study sought to better understand the unique profiles of late adolescents' affective functioning by exploring patterns of trait affect and cognitive affective regulation strategies. The study also examined whether these unique profiles significantly predicted depressive symptoms, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and well-being outcomes. METHODS: Data from a sample of 590 late adolescents were examined (M = 19.14 years, SD = 1.41, 63% Female, 62% Caucasian, 38% African American/Biracial). Participants were followed for an average of 14 months (SD = 2.53) and completed measures of trait affect, cognitive affective regulation, depression, NSSI, and well-being. Data were examined using latent class analysis. RESULTS: Five subgroups with unique patterns of affective functioning were identified. Late adolescents who reported above average levels of negative affect, dampening of positive affect, brooding, and reflection, coupled with below average levels of positive affect and positive rumination, were more likely to report having higher levels of depressive symptoms and greater engagement in NSSI during the one-year period prior to baseline. Similarly, the late adolescents fitting this profile also reported lower levels of well-being and were more likely to report engaging in NSSI at the follow-up. LIMITATIONS: Limitations include a narrow exploration of affective regulation strategies and the addition of key variables after the initiation of the larger study. CONCLUSIONS: These findings shed light on affective regulation factors relevant to the experience of depressive symptoms and NSSI, and the promotion of well-being.

Cognitive Vulnerabilities to Depression for Adolescents in Single-Mother and Two-Parent Families.

Although research consistently suggests that adolescents in single-mother families are at increased risk for depression, the mechanisms that explain this relationship are unclear. In a community sample of adolescents (N = 368; ages 12-16; 50 % female; 50 % White) and their mothers (42 % single), adolescents completed measures of depressive symptoms, rumination, and depressogenic inferential style at baseline and two yearly follow-ups. Mothers reported on stressful events that occurred in the child's life from birth until baseline. Adolescents raised by single mothers, relative to partnered mothers, experienced more childhood stressors and higher rumination levels at 1-year follow-up. Additionally, higher rumination mediated the relationship between single motherhood and greater youth depressive symptoms at the 2-year follow-up. Clinical implications and developmental considerations are discussed.

The Relationship Between Family Functioning and Adolescent Depressive Symptoms: The Role of Emotional Clarity.

Emotion regulation has been implicated in the etiology of depression. A first step in adaptive emotion regulation involves emotional clarity, the ability to recognize and differentiate one's emotional experience. As family members are critical in facilitating emotional understanding and communication, we examined the impact of family functioning on adolescent emotional clarity and depressive symptoms. We followed 364 adolescents (ages 14-17; 52.5% female; 51.4 % Caucasian, 48.6% African American) and their mothers over 2 years (3 time points) and assessed emotional clarity, depressive symptoms, and adolescents' and mothers' reports of family functioning. Emotional clarity mediated the relationship between adolescents' reports of family functioning and depressive symptoms at all time points cross-sectionally, and according to mothers' reports of family functioning at Time 1 only. There was no evidence of longitudinal mediation for adolescents' or mothers' reports of family functioning. Thus, family functioning, emotional clarity, and depressive symptoms are strongly related constructs during various time points in adolescence, which has important implications for intervention, especially within the family unit.

Single Mother Parenting and Adolescent Psychopathology.

Children raised in single-mother families are at increased risk for psychopathology, but the mechanisms that help explain this relationship are understudied. In a community sample of diverse adolescents (N = 385, 52 % female, 48 % Caucasian) and their mothers, we hypothesized that single mothers would be more likely than cohabitating mothers to engage in negative parenting behaviors, which would predict adolescent psychopathology prospectively. Single mothers were more likely to engage in psychologically controlling behaviors, which predicted to their adolescent offspring experiencing higher rates of depressive symptoms and externalizing disorders. Girls were more susceptible to depressive symptoms via psychologically controlling parenting than boys in single-mother families. Further, single mothers were more likely to engage in rejecting parenting behaviors, which predicted to a higher prevalence of adolescent externalizing disorders. Surprisingly, rejection in single-mother families predicted to less severe anxiety symptoms in adolescents relative to two-parent families. It is likely that single mothers are not inherently inferior parents relative to cohabitating mothers; rather, their parenting practices are often compromised by a myriad of demands and stressors. Consistent with this postulate, low socioeconomic status was associated with single motherhood and negative parenting behaviors. Clinical implications and study limitations are discussed.

Differential Reporting of Adolescent Stress as a Function of Maternal Depression History.

The depression-distortion hypothesis posits that depressed mothers report child characteristics in a negatively-biased manner, motivating research on discrepant reporting between depressed mothers and their children. However, the literature has predominately focused on report discrepancies of youth psychopathological and behavioral outcomes, with limited focus on youth stress despite the marked increase of stressful events during adolescence. The current study investigated whether the presence versus absence of a maternal history of major depressive disorder differentially influenced reporting of adolescent stress when compared to her child's report, utilizing a community sample of diverse adolescents. As hypothesized, mothers with a history of depression were more likely to report more youth stress than their children reported. Specifically, mothers with a history of depression were more likely than nondepressed mothers to report more familial, social, and youth-dependent stressors relative to their children; nondepressed mothers were more likely to report less independent stressors than their children.

Cognitive and Emotion-Regulatory Mediators of the Relationship Between Behavioral Approach System Sensitivity and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Frequency.

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is highly prevalent among late adolescents and predicts the onset of suicidal ideation and behavior. Although research has established an association between the behavioral approach system (BAS) and NSSI, less research has explored mechanisms underlying this relationship. The authors examined negative and positive emotion regulation patterns, as well as the BAS-relevant cognitive style of self-criticism, as potential mechanisms through which a hypersensitive BAS might be related to NSSI frequency. Late adolescents (N = 177) with high and moderate BAS levels completed measures of self-criticism, positive emotion regulation, brooding, and both lifetime and last-year frequency of NSSI. Results indicated that self-criticism and positive emotion dampening independently mediated the relationship between BAS and last-year frequency of NSSI. Self-criticism also mediated the relationship between BAS and lifetime frequency of NSSI. Results suggest that cognitive and emotion-regulatory styles may help to explain why high BAS individuals are likely to engage in NSSI.