An exploration into the mediating role of perceived rejection in the predictive relationship between off-time pubertal timing and depression in adolescence
Year: 2019
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: While depression in childhood is infrequent, this prevalence surges during adolescence. It has \nbeen proposed that puberty is a major contributor, as it leads to enhanced self-awareness, boosted \nsocial understanding, feelings of insecurity, social stress, and body image disturbance, \nparticularly in girls. In addition, it has been proposed that individuals with heightened rejection \nsensitivity are more likely to develop emotional difficulties, such as depression, than those with \nlower rejection sensitivity. This opens the question not previously explored in literature; is \nperceived rejection a mediator of the relationship between early pubertal timing and subsequent \ndepression in adolescence, and what are the gender differences in this relationship? Three \nhundred participants (156 female, 144 male) were included in this four wave study. Pubertal \ntiming was explored through a self-report questionnaire at wave 4. Rejection sensitivity was \nmeasured through decoding perceived level of acceptance or rejection of thirty ambiguous facial \nexpressions at wave 1. The dependent variable was participants’ scores of depression that were \nmeasured at each wave using the CDI. Multiple regression analyses indicated that males who \nentered puberty late had significantly higher levels of depression, while the effect of early \npubertal timing and depression was not significant in girls. Perceived rejection was significantly \ncorrelated with depression in girls only. Therefore, a mediation model was not found in either \nboys or girls.
Author: Elyssia Bourke
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3041410101