COMPETENCY-BASED MODEL OF CHILD DEPRESSION

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The goal of this project is to conduct two studies (one cross-sectional and one longitudinal) to test hypotheses about the etiology of depression of children, derived from a competency-based model of child depression (see Cole, 1990, 1991). According to the model, child depression constitutes a deviation in the normal course of children's cognitive/emotional development that results from feedback about personal incompetence across a wide variety of domains. In Study 1, 3rd & 6th graders will be screened for very high or very low levels of peer-nominated competence in multiple domains. Dependent variables will be depression and anxiety, assessed by questionnaire and by clinical interview. Cognitive measures of self-complexity, negative self- schemata, and the tendancy to make negative cognitive errors will also be obtained. Questions include: (1) Is being incompetent in multiple domains related to the presence or severity of depression (and/or anxiety) in children? (2) Does age affect the strength of the competence-depression relationship? (3) Do certain cognitive factors mediate the relation between competence and depression? MANCOVA and logistic regression will be used to address these issues. Study 2 will involve following 3rd and 6th graders over a 3 year time span. Measures of depression, anxiety, competence, and depressotypic cognitions will be obtained at each wave. Constructs will be assessed from multiple perspectives: self, peer, teacher, and/or parent. Questions include: (1) Does competence (as assessed in multiple domains and via multiple methods) predict change in depression over time; and conversely, does depression predict changes in competence over time? (2) Do individual differences in competencies only predict depression or do they predict differences in the broad band of negative affectivity as well? (3) Is the competence- depression relation stronger in older children than younger children? (4) Are others' appraisals of children's competencies reflected in children's self-cognitions (e.g., low self-concept, negative cognitive errors, and negative automatic negative thoughts), and do these negative self- cognitions mediate the emergence of depression? (5) Can competence in one or more domain "protect" the child from chronic or pervasive depression? (6) Finally, do domains of competence provide the expected protection from depression if these domains are not valued by the child? Linear structural equation modeling, hierarchical regression, and CART analysis will be used to address these issues.