Abstract
The current multi-wave longitudinal study on childhood examined the role that social and academic self-efficacy beliefs and cognitive vulnerabilities play in predicting depressive symptoms in response to elevations in idiographic stressors. Children (N = 554; males: 51.4 %) attending second and third grade completed measures of depressive symptoms, negative cognitive styles, negative life events, and academic and social self-efficacy beliefs at four time-points over 6 months. Results showed that high levels of academic and social self-efficacy beliefs predicted lower levels of depressive symptoms, whereas negative cognitive styles about consequences predicted higher depression. Furthermore, children reporting higher social self-efficacy beliefs showed a smaller elevation in levels of depressive symptoms when reporting an increases in stress than children with lower social self-efficacy beliefs. Findings point to the role of multiple factors in predicting children's depression in the long term and commend the promotion of self-efficacy beliefs and the modification of cognitive dysfunctional styles as relevant protective factors.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 137-148 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology |
Volume | 42 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2014 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Childhood
- Cognitive styles
- Depression
- Hassles
- Self-efficacy beliefs
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health