Social-cognitive and cognitive correlates of depression in children

• Published in: Journal of abnormal child psychology Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 605 - 620
• Main Authors: KASLOW, N. J, REHM, L. P, SIEGEL, A. W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 01.12.1984; Plenum Press
• Subjects: Adolescent; Attention deficit disorders. Hyperactivity; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child clinical studies; Child Development; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - psychology; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Female; Humans; Learning Disorders - diagnosis; Learning Disorders - psychology; Male; Medical sciences; Mood disorders; Psychological Tests; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Self Concept; Set (Psychology); Social Adjustment; Social Perception; Human; Depression; Cognition; School age; Child
• ISSN: 0091-0627; 1573-2835
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00916853

The present investigation examined depression and its social-cognitive and cognitive correlates in a sample of 108 elementary school children: 36 children in each of grades 1, 4, and 8. Children were classified as depressed and nondepressed according to their scores on the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). Depression appeared stable over a 3-week time interval. Depressed children reported a higher number of "masking" symptoms, were rated as more depressed by their teachers, and perceived their family environment to be more distressed. As posited, when compared to nondepressed children, depressed children have lower self-esteem, a more depressive attributional style, and more self-control deficits. Further, they have impaired performance on some cognitive tasks (block design, coding digit span) but not all (vocabulary). The prediction that depression would be manifested differently in first-, fourth-, and eighth-graders was not supported.