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Emotional Functioning in Children and Adolescents with Elevated Depressive Symptoms

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Abstract

Difficulties with emotion and its regulation are of central importance to the etiology and course of depression. The current study investigated these constructs in relation to childhood and adolescence by comparing the emotional functioning of 170 9- to 15-year-olds reporting high levels of depressive symptoms (HD) to a matched sample of 170 children and adolescents reporting low levels of depressive symptoms (LD). Compared to LD, HD participants reported significantly greater shame proneness, poorer functioning on emotion regulation competencies (emotional control, self-awareness and situational responsiveness), less healthy emotion regulation strategy use (less reappraisal and greater suppression), and lower levels of guilt proneness. Empathic concern did not differ between the two groups. The findings enhance current knowledge by providing a more comprehensive profile of the emotional difficulties experienced by children and adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms.

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Acknowledgements

This research was financially supported by grants from the Australian Research Council [DP0343902, DP0771180]. The ARC had no involvement in the conduct of the research or preparation of the article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

    Elizabeth Kate Hughes, Eleonora Gullone & Shaun D. Watson

  2. Centre for Adolescent Health, The Royal Children’s Hospital, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia

    Elizabeth Kate Hughes

  3. Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Elizabeth Kate Hughes

  4. School of Behavioural and Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Ballarat, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

    Shaun D. Watson

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Hughes, E.K., Gullone, E. & Watson, S.D. Emotional Functioning in Children and Adolescents with Elevated Depressive Symptoms. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 33, 335–345 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-011-9220-2

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