Depression vulnerability in middle and late childhood and its relationship with gender, self competence, and coping

Abstract

Depression vulnerability in children seems to be connected with cognitive and interpersonal vulnerability, like pessimistic thinking and insecure attachment to their parents (DesJardin, 2003; Richaud, 2006a). Negative self-perceptions are believed to result from the negative competency evaluations of significant others, such as parents and teachers. A child´s self-perception of competency may interact with others´ appraisals to influence vulnerability to depression (Richaud, 2006a). According to DesJardin (2003) children who are vulnerable to depression have a tendency to make pessimistic remarks; have low self-esteem; poor coping strategies such as chewing over their problems without solving them; rigid and extreme personality traits that include self-criticism and over-dependency on their parents. At the same time, although clear gender differences in depression only appear after adolescence, developmental perspectives have placed its origins in childhood socialization. However relatively little is known about continuities and discontinuities between child and adult behavior. The aim of this chapter is to study vulnerability to depression in normal boys and girls in middle and late childhood and its relation with cognitive vulnerability, as expressed in children´s self-perception of academic and social competency, controllability of perceived stressors, and coping strategies. Method Argentine adaptation of Harter’s Self-Perception Profile for Children, Argentine adaptation of Harter and Nowakowski’s Dimensions of Depression Profile for children and adolescents, and Coping Questionnaire for children were administered to 1,050 middle class children, aged 8 to 12, from four primary schools, two state-run and two public, residing in the city of Buenos Aires and various towns in the province of Buenos Aires. Results Cognitive vulnerability expressed as negative self-perception of academic and social competence is a factor of risk that may offset depressive vulnerability in middle and late childhood. This cognitive vulnerability is also connected with threat appraisal related to close-family interpersonal difficulties. Coping with these difficulties follows a pattern characterized by non-problem focus, low approach, high avoidance and emotion-focused coping. Finally, greater gender differences in vulnerability to depression appear in middle childhood and diminish in late childhood, males being more depression vulnerable than girls, probably due in part to changes in socialization practices.