Depression in youth: exploring the relationship among maternal depressive symptomatology, perceived critical maternal messages, and the cognitive triad
Year: 2004
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Although numerous studies have empirically documented the risks to the children \nof depressed mothers, few studies have attempted to investigate the possible mechanisms \nthat may be responsible for these risks. Cognitive theories of depression suggest that \ndepressogenic cognitions have their roots in early learning experiences within the family. \nEmpirical evidence has accumulated that both depressed mothers and the parents of \ndepressed children tend to be more critical of their children and more negative in their \ninteractions with them. Recent studies even indicate that highly critical family \ncommunication patterns are associated with a childís vulnerability to depression. \nUtilizing Beck's cognitive theory of depression, this dissertation focuses on the \nrelationship between variables in a hypothetical model which link mother's severity of \ndepressive symptomatology, critical maternal messages as perceived by the child, the \nchild's cognitive triad (view of self, world, and future), and the child's severity of \ndepression. \nDrawn from a larger research study investigating childhood emotional and \nbehavioral disorders, the participants were 38 adolescents who were receiving services in \na psychiatric residential treatment center and their mothers. The adolescents completed a \nclinical interview to assess depression severity and two self-report measures to assess \ntheir perceptions of maternal messages as well as their own views of self, world, and \nfuture (cognitive triad). The mothers in the study completed a self-report measure on \ntheir own psychiatric functioning. Four mediational hypotheses were tested to explore \nthe relationships between variables in the hypothesized model summarized above. \nResults did not support any of the mediational hypotheses. Consistent with Beckís \ncognitive theory of depression, a more negative view of self, world, and future was \npredictive of a greater severity level of depression in adolescents. Theoretical and \nclinical implications are discussed, as well as the studyís limitations and suggestions for \nfuture research.
Author: Deborah Ann Wendland
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1742154617