Levels of relatedness within the dependency factor of the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire for adolescents

The Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Afflitti, & Quinlan, 1976) assesses two types of dysphoric experiences: (a) interpersonal issues such as loss, abandonment, and loneliness; and (b) issues of self-esteem such as failure, guilt, and a lack of self-worth and autonomy. Prior research using Facet Theory and Smallest Space Analysis (SSA) demonstrated that Factor I of the DEQ with young adults assesses interpersonal relatedness at two different levels. One set of items (labeled Dependence) assesses undifferentiated feelings of helplessness and fears and apprehensions about separation, rejection, and loss. A second set of items (labeled Relatedness) assesses feelings of loss and loneliness in reaction to disruptions of a relationship with a particular person. The Dependence subscale had significantly greater positive correlations with measures of depression, whereas the Relatedness subscale had significantly higher correlations with measures of self-esteem, especially with girls. In the study presented in this article we applied Facet Theory and SSA to the responses of a large group of adolescent boys and girls to test whether these two subscales could also be identified within Factor I of the DEQ for Adolescents (DEQ-A; Blatt, Schaffer, Bers, & Quinlan, 1992). Data from a large sample of adolescents in a suburban high school indicate that these two scales can be identified within the DEQ-A and that the Dependence subscale has significantly higher correlations than the Relatedness subscale with measures of depression and with problem behaviors as assessed on the Achenbach Youth Self Report, especially in adolescent boys.