CORRELATES OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN EARLY ADOLESCENCE

A relatively well-documented increase in depressive symptoms has been noted among some early adolescents; however, the factors that correlate with this increase have not been identified. In the present study, 26 boys and girls whose depressive symptoms increased from ages 11 years through 13 years were compared with 26 matched control participants whose depressive symptoms remained low over the same period. Comparisons were made on behavioral, psychological, social, family, school, and biological variables. At age 11, groups differed on feelings of loneliness, self-reported number of friends, social self-perceptions, behavioral self-perceptions (boys only), global self-worth (boys only), and self-reported parent-child relationships. At ages 12 and 13, groups differed on feelings of loneliness (boys only), self-perceptions in several domains, self-reported delinquency, and several dimensions of parent-child relationships. The usefulness of age 11 variables to predict increasing depressive symptoms during early adolescence and the influence of process variables during this period are discussed.