Depressive symptoms and perceived competence among Chinese secondary school students in Hong Kong

Risk Factors for the Occurrence of Depressive Disorders in Pediatric Patients With Tuberculosis

Background

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the oldest and most persistent infectious diseases, continuing to pose a significant public health challenge worldwide. Children diagnosed with TB are particularly vulnerable to developing depressive disorders, which can significantly reduce their quality of life and negatively affect treatment adherence and recovery. This study aimed to identify risk and prognostic factors associated with depressive disorders in pediatric patients diagnosed with tuberculosis through a prospective analysis.

Materials and Methods

A prospective study was conducted on 190 pediatric patients, aged 7 to 18 years, diagnosed with tuberculosis and treated at the Pneumophthisiology Hospital in Galați, Romania, between 2019 and 2021. The CDI (Children's Depression Inventory) was administered to assess depressive symptoms over the course of the study.

Objective

The study aims to determine the prevalence of depressive disorders in children and adolescents by analyzing risk factors such as age, gender, place of origin, and access to medical services, as well as the effectiveness of CDI as a diagnostic tool. It also seeks to correlate clinical and demographic data with CDI scores and evaluate changes over time to identify solutions that support early diagnosis and intervention.

Results

Out of the initial 190 patients, 158 completed the CDI, as some did not return for follow-up evaluations or declined to participate. Of these, 146 (92.4%) demonstrated clinically significant depressive symptoms. Key risk factors for depressive disorders included a rural background, male gender, and age between 15 and 18 years.

Conclusion

Specific risk factors and vulnerabilities contribute to the development of depressive disorders in pediatric TB patients. Early identification and monitoring of these factors in a prospective framework are essential for improving the prognosis of both depression and tuberculosis, ultimately enhancing the overall outcomes for affected children.

Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Children's Depression Inventory in Iranian Adolescents

Objectives: Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) is a self-report tool for measuring depression in children and adolescents. In this study, the psychometric properties of the Persian version of CDI were investigated in an Iranian adolescent population. Methods: This study was conducted on a sample of 480 adolescent boys and girls in the age range of 12-18 years. The results showed that 23.6% of the study population were 11-13 years old, 62.1% were 14-16 years old, and 14.3% were 17-18 years old. Also, 48.5% of the sample were girls, and 51.5% were boys. To investigate the convergent and divergent validity, Beck's Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II) and Teenage Inventory of Social Skills were used, respectively. Results: The reliability coefficient of CDI, based on Cronbach's alpha, indicated the relatively high internal consistency of the items (0.907). The results of the exploratory factor analysis showed that CDI has a saturated factor, explaining 50.11% of the variance in the data. Also, goodness-of-fit indices of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model is well suited for explaining depression. The present results also showed a negative correlation between children's depression and the social skills subscale and a positive correlation between children's depression and BDI-II score. Conclusions: The construct validity of the questionnaire was confirmed. It can be concluded that the Persian version of CDI has adequate reliability and validity. Therefore, it can be used as a useful tool for early screening of depression in adolescents due to its easy use and specific design for children and adolescents.

Parent perceptions of mental illness in Chinese American youth

BACKGROUND

Although parents are often the first to facilitate help-seeking in their children, parental perceptions regarding mental health serve as a significant barrier to the access of mental health services. This study examined mental health perceptions held by Chinese immigrant parents of youth.

METHODS

Eighteen parents (13 female, 5 male), who identified as having children between the ages of 13 and 21 years, participated in audio-recorded interviews using five vignettes depicting depression with and without a somatic emphasis, schizophrenia with paranoid features, attenuated psychosis syndrome, and social anxiety in youth. Questions about potential causes, likely diagnosis, and health-seeking behaviors in relation to these vignettes were asked. Interviews were analyzed for themes using a deductive-inductive hybrid approach, informed by the explanatory models that have shed light on Asian perceptions of mental illness and approaches to help-seeking.

RESULTS

While Asian groups are often considered as lacking in mental health knowledge, we found that Chinese immigrant parents were comfortable with psychological terminology as it pertained to identifying causes and describing supportive strategies and the seeking of Western-based providers. However, the majority of Chinese immigrant parent respondents did not easily note suicidality. Furthermore, respondents did not consider social anxiety as a major mental health issue among Chinese immigrant parents and attributed social anxiety to personality or cultural differences.

DISCUSSION

These findings provide an understanding of how Chinese immigrant parents conceptualize mental illness and help-seeking, which may be helpful for providers when working with Chinese immigrant parents of children that have a mental health concern.

Reliability and validity of the Children's Depression Inventory-Japanese version

BACKGROUND

Depression has major negative consequences for individuals and society, and psychological assessment tools for early disease detection are needed. The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability and validity of an updated Japanese version of the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI-J) and set a cut-off score for the detection of depression.

METHODS

The participants consisted of 465 children and adolescents aged 7-17 years. The control (CON) groups consisted of students recruited from elementary and junior-high school (CONEJ) and children recruited from among hospital staff members (CONRE), while the outpatient clinical (OPC) groups consisted of pediatric psychosomatic outpatients (OPCPD) and adolescent psychiatric outpatients (OPCPS). The CON and OPC CDI-J scores underwent factor analysis using varimax rotation, followed by measurement invariance analysis. The Youth Self-Report (YSR) was administered to assess concurrent validity. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview was administered to the OPC group to diagnose current depressive symptoms. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was conducted to evaluate case-finding performance and to set cut-off points for the detection of depression.

RESULTS

The CDI-J was reliable in terms of internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.86; mean inter-item correlation, 0.16). Re-test reliability was substantial (mean interval 18 days: γ = 0.59, P < 0.05). The four-factor solution exhibited adequate internal consistency (range, 0.52-0.73) and correspondence (Pearson correlation of 0.65 with the YSR) for both the CON and OPC groups. On ROC analysis the optimal cut-off score was 23/24.

CONCLUSION

The CDI-J can be used as a reliable and well-validated instrument alongside standard diagnostic procedures.

Depressive symptoms in adolescents in Kuching, Malaysia: Prevalence and associated factors

BACKGROUND

The trend of depression is rising worldwide. There are limited studies on depression in adolescents. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of and identify the factors associated with depressive symptoms in adolescents in Kuching, Malaysia, and to analyze the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 320 students from urban and rural secondary schools. The participants were randomly selected via multi-stage sampling. They completed the Malay versions of the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS).

RESULTS

The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 26.2%. On binary logistic regression analysis, variables with significant association with depressive symptoms were race (P = 0.028), type of class (P < 0.001), mother's education level (P = 0.036), type of housing (P = 0.036), parents' marital status (P = 0.012), alcohol intake (P = 0.005), stealing (P < 0.001) and history of disciplinary record (P = 0.005). Variables that remained significant on multivariable logistic regression were type of class (P = 0.004), parents' marital status (P = 0.017) and stealing (P < 0.001). Students from the Arts stream (OR, 2.43) with parents who were separated, divorced or widowed (OR, 3.13) and who had experience of stealing (OR, 3.27) were predicted to be at risk of developing depressive symptoms. There was a significant correlation between total CDI score and total BSS score (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of depressive symptoms in adolescents was high. Depressive symptoms are significantly correlated with suicidal ideation. Greater collaboration between the education and health agencies is essential for mental health promotion in schools and early detection of depression, especially in at-risk adolescents.

The moderation of culturally normative coping strategies on Taiwanese adolescent peer victimization and psychological distress

The current study aimed to investigate the moderation effects of coping strategies on the association between perceived peer victimization and psychological distress including loneliness and depression. Applying the person-context fit developmental model, this research hypothesized that adaptive coping strategies, which are normative in Taiwan's culture (i.e., social support seeking), would buffer the link between peer victimization and psychological distress (i.e., depression and loneliness) in comparison with the culturally non-normative coping (i.e., problem-solving strategies). We also expected maladaptive coping strategies (i.e., internalizing strategies) would exacerbate the link between peer victimization and psychological distress. A latent interaction model was conducted with a sample of 730 Taiwanese adolescents attending one middle school. The results indicated that both support seeking strategies and problem-solving strategies buffered Taiwanese adolescents from loneliness and depression. Internalizing coping strategies placed Taiwanese adolescents at great risk of depression and loneliness. Support seeking strategies that are aligned with interdependent cultural contexts appeared to have greater protective effects than the culturally non-normative problem-solving strategies for adolescents who perceived high levels of victimization. The implications for prevention and intervention were discussed.

Peer acceptance and self-perceptions of verbal and behavioural aggression and social withdrawal

This study presents a model of maladaptive social interactions that includes both behavioural and communication correlates of peer acceptance and self-perceived social competence. Tested in a sample of 377 Hong Kong secondary school students, verbal and nonverbal aggression contributed concurrently and longitudinally to peer acceptance. Communication avoidance was predictive only of self-perceived social competence but not of peer acceptance, whereas, as observed in Western children, social withdrawal negatively predicted peer acceptance and self-perceived social competency. These findings are presented in a discussion of the verbal and nonverbal involvement in defining aggression and social withdrawal in adolescent social interactions.

Sociability and prosocial orientation as predictors of youth adjustment: A seven-year longitudinal study in a Chinese sample

The purpose of the study was to examine contributions of sociable and prosocial dimensions of social competence in childhood to the prediction of educational attainment and socioemotional adjustment in early adulthood in urban China. A sample of children at 12 years of age participated in the original study, and was followed up seven years later when they graduated from high school. Sociability and prosocial orientation in childhood were assessed by peer evaluations. Data concerning youth adjustment were collected from self-reports of the participants and their parents. The results indicated that sociability and prosocial orientation had differential significance for later adjustment in different areas. Whereas prosocial orientation made unique contributions to the prediction of educational achievement, sociability in the early years was a significant and reliable predictor of later socioemotional adjustment.

Validating the Children's Depression Inventory in the context of Rwanda

BACKGROUND

Depression is often co-morbid with chronic conditions, and when combined with HIV it can increase progression and reduce survival. A brief and accurate screening tool for depression among children living with HIV is necessary to increase access to mental health care and improve HIV-related outcomes in the long-term.

METHODS

A validation study was conducted, comparing the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) with a structured clinical assessment as the gold standard among children living with HIV ages 7-14 years in Rwanda. The response rate was 87 % and the analysis was performed among 100 study participants.

RESULTS

Twenty-five percent of children had a diagnosis of depression based on the clinical interview. Sensitivity of the CDI ranged from 44 to 76 % and specificity was 92 to 100 % for cut-off scores from 5 to 9. The area under the curve (AUC) for receiver operating characteristic analysis, an estimate of overall accuracy, was 0.87 (95 % confidence interval: 0.77 - 0.97).

CONCLUSIONS

The significant prevalence of depression among children living with HIV in Rwanda reflects a critical need to advance mental health care in this population. Although overall accuracy of the CDI is reasonable in this context, further research needs to be done to develop a more sensitive measure of depression in this vulnerable population. Development of a highly sensitive screening measure will be a fundamental step towards improving access to mental health care among children living with HIV, potentially improving health outcomes and quality of life in the long-term as this vulnerable population transitions into adulthood.

The Role of Self-Competence in Health-Related Quality of Life and Behavioral Functioning of Children with Tourette Syndrome

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate self-competence, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and emotional/behavioral functioning in children with Tourette syndrome (TS) compared to normative data and to examine self-competence as a potential protective factor against poorer HRQOL and emotional/behavioral outcomes in this population.

METHOD

Thirty-nine children between the ages of 8 and 17 years and 72 caregivers participated in this study. Participants completed measures of children's HRQOL, emotional/behavioral functioning, and self-competence.

RESULTS

Participants reported significantly lower levels of emotional/behavioral functioning and HRQOL compared with norms of healthy children. No significant differences were found in domains of perceived self-competence. Social and general self-competence domains were significantly and positively correlated with most emotional and behavioral outcomes examined. Only social self-competence was significantly correlated with domains of HRQOL.

CONCLUSION

Self-competence, particularly in the social realm, may play a protective role against lower HRQOL and worse emotional and behavioral outcomes in children with TS. Children with this condition may benefit from self-competence-promoting interventions targeting children's perceptions of their own abilities.

Links between teacher assessment and child self-assessment of mental health and behavior among children affected by HIV/AIDS

Teachers are considered to be one of the most important influences in the lives of students. Teachers' assessments of students may be a primary source of information on children's mental and behavioral health; however, this topic has received little attention in research. We examined this issue through linking teachers' ratings of students and mental and behavioral outcomes of children affected by HIV. The hypothesis is that teacher ratings will be predictive of specific child mental and behavioral health outcomes. A quantitative cross-sectional design with self-administered paper-and-pencil instruments was used. The sample included 1221 children (aged 6-18, grades 1-11) affected by HIV including 755 orphans who lost one or both parents to AIDS and 466 vulnerable children living with HIV-infected parents in a central province of China. The corresponding teacher sample included 185 participants. Each child completed an assessment inventory of demographic information and mental and behavioral health measures. Teachers completed a questionnaire about children's school performance. SEM analyses revealed a good model fit according to all fit indices: comparative fit index = 0.93, root mean square error of approximation = 0.07, and standardized root mean square residual = 0.04. Structural equation modeling revealed that problem ratings by teachers were positively associated with child loneliness and behavioral problems, social competence ratings by teachers were negatively related to child depression, and personal growth and social interaction ratings by teachers were negatively related to child loneliness, depression, and trauma. The current study represents a unique contribution to the field in that it recognizes that teachers can be a valuable source of information on children's psychological health. Results from this study have implications for health prevention and intervention for children and families suffering from HIV/AIDS.

Negative attachment cognitions and emotional distress in mainland Chinese adolescents: a prospective multiwave test of vulnerability-stress and stress generation models

The present study examined the relation between attachment cognitions, stressors, and emotional distress in a sample of Chinese adolescents. Specifically, it was examined whether negative attachment cognitions predicted depression and anxiety symptoms, and if a vulnerability-stress or stress generation model best explained the relation between negative attachment cognitions and internalizing symptoms. Participants included 558 adolescents (310 females and 248 males) from an urban school in Changsha and 592 adolescents (287 female, 305 male) from a rural school in Liuyang, both in Hunan province located in mainland China. Participants completed self-report measures of negative attachment cognitions at baseline, and self-report measures of negative events, depression symptoms, and anxiety symptoms at baseline and at regular 1-month intervals for an overall 6-month follow-up (i.e., six follow-up assessments). Higher levels of negative attachment cognitions predicted prospective depression and anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, support was found for a stress generation model that partially mediated this longitudinal association. No support was found for a vulnerability-stress model. Overall, these findings highlight new developmental pathways for development of depression and anxiety symptoms in mainland Chinese adolescents.

Early adolescent depressive mood: direct and indirect effects of attributional styles and coping

The present study used a cross-sectional survey design to examine how adolescent depressive mood was related to attributional styles and coping strategies with a sample of 326 youths (aged 8-14 years). With the cutting point adopted in the West, 20.9% of the current sample reported depressive symptoms. Regression analysis results show that, with the asymptomatic group, seeking social support strategy mediated the effects of positive-global and positive-stable attribution, and internalization strategy mediated the effects of negative-global attribution on depression mood. In the dysphoric adolescents, attributing positive events to global factors and seeking social support strategy predicted depressive mood in the negative direction whereas attributing negative events to global factors, problem solving strategy and internalization strategy, the positive direction. The current study confirmed that both attributional styles and coping strategies were significant predictors of depressive mood but different dimensions of attribution related to depressive symptoms in different magnitude.

Assessing Measurement Invariance of the Children’s Depression Inventory in Chinese and Italian Primary School Student Samples

This study tested the measurement invariance of Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) and compared its factorial variance/covariance and latent means among Chinese and Italian children. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis of the original five factors identified by Kovacs revealed that full measurement invariance did not hold. Further analysis showed that 4 of 21 factor loadings, 14 of 26 intercepts, and 12 of 26 item errors were noninvariant. Factor variance and covariance invariant tests revealed significant differences between Chinese and Italian samples. The latent factor mean comparison suggested no significant difference across the two groups. Nevertheless, the finding of partial metric and scalar invariance suggested that observed mean differences on the CDI items cannot be fully explained by the mean differences in the latent factor. These results suggest that researchers and practitioners exercise caution when gauging the size of the true national population differences in depressive symptoms among Italian and Chinese children when assessed via CDI. In addition to providing needed evidence on the use of the CDI in Italian and Chinese children specifically, the methods used in this research can serve more generally as an example for other cross-cultural assessment research to test structural equivalence and measurement invariance of scales and to determine why it is important to do so.

Depression and physical activity in a sample of nigerian adolescents: levels, relationships and predictors

BACKGROUND

Physical inactivity is related to many morbidities but the evidence of its link with depression in adolescents needs further investigation in view of the existing conflicting reports.

METHODS

The data for this cross-sectional study were collected from 1,100 Nigerian adolescents aged 12-17 years. Depressive symptomatology and physical activity were assessed using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Physical Activity Questionnaire-Adolescent version (PAQ-A) respectively. Independent t tests, Pearson's Moment Correlation and Multi-level logistic regression analyses for individual and school area influences were carried out on the data at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

The mean age of the participants was 15.20 ± 1.435 years. The prevalence of mild to moderate depression was 23.8%, definite depression was 5.7% and low physical activity was 53.8%. More severe depressive symptoms were linked with lower levels of physical activity (r = -0.82, p < 0.001) and moderate physical activity was linked with reduced risk of depressive symptoms (OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.29-0.71). The odds of having depressive symptoms were higher in older adolescents (OR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.81-3.44) and in females (OR = 2.92, 95% CI = 1.82-3.54). Females had a higher risk of low physical activity than male adolescents (OR = 2.91, 95% CI = 1.51-4.26). Being in Senior Secondary class three was a significant predictor of depressive symptoms (OR = 3.4, 95% CI = 2.55-4.37) and low physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS

A sizable burden of depression and low physical activity existed among the studied adolescents and these were linked to both individual and school factors. Future studies should examine the effects of physical activity among clinical samples of adolescents with depression.

Depression among Vertically HIV-Infected Adolescents in Northern Thailand

PURPOSE

To compare depression risk among vertically HIV-infected adolescents and matched controls in northern Thailand.

METHODS

The Thai Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) was administered among vertically HIV-infected adolescents and matched controls in northern Thailand from 2007 to 2008, as part of a comprehensive quantitative survey that also assessed demographics, substance use, and sexual behavior and knowledge. A total CDI score ≥15 was considered a positive screen for possible depression.

RESULTS

A total of 54 cases and 165 controls participated; cases had significantly lower mean CDI scores (P = .003) and fewer screened positive for possible depression (P = .046). Cases who screened positive were more likely to have engaged in sexual intercourse (P = .07).

CONCLUSIONS

Depressive symptoms and depression risk were reduced among vertically HIV-infected adolescents compared to matched controls in northern Thailand. Further investigation into mental health disorders among vertically HIV-infected adolescents in developing settings is needed.

The role of social skills and school connectedness in preadolescent depressive symptoms

In the current study, we tested whether school connectedness mediates more distal deficits in social skills in influencing depressive symptoms in a sample of 127 sixth- and seventh-grade students. Results demonstrated that school connectedness and social skills accounted for 44% and 26% of variance in depressive symptoms respectively and 49% in a combined model. Although the full mediation model hypothesis was not supported, follow-up analyses revealed that school connectedness partially mediated the link between social skills and preadolescent depressive symptoms. Thus, school connectedness appears to play as strong a role in depressive symptoms in this younger preadolescent age group.

A Study of the Predictive Validity of the Children’s Depression Inventory for Major Depression Disorder in Puerto Rican Adolescents

This study aims to evaluate the predictive validity of the Children’s Depression Inventory items for major depression disorder (MDD) in an outpatient clinic sample of Puerto Rican adolescents. The sample consisted of 130 adolescents, 13 to 18 years old. The five most frequent symptoms of the Children’s Depression Inventory that best predict the presence of MDD were “I worry about others’ aches and pains,” “I don’t have any friends,” “I have to push myself to do my schoolwork,” “I have trouble sleeping every night,” and “I do very badly in subjects I used to be good in.” Results demonstrated that the symptoms that best predict MDD in Puerto Rican adolescents are not necessarily the ones commonly described as characteristic of the disorder.

Relations of parenting style to Chinese children's effortful control, ego resilience, and maladjustment

The purpose of the study was to examine the relations of authoritative parenting and corporal punishment to Chinese first and second graders' effortful control (EC), impulsivity, ego resilience, and maladjustment, as well as mediating relations. A parent and teacher reported on children's EC, impulsivity, and ego resilience; parents reported on children's internalizing symptoms and their own parenting, and teachers and peers reported on children's externalizing symptoms. Authoritative parenting and low corporal punishment predicted high EC, and EC mediated the relation between parenting and externalizing problems. In addition, impulsivity mediated the relation of corporal punishment to externalizing problems. The relation of parenting to children's ego resilience was mediated by EC and/or impulsivity, and ego resilience mediated the relations of EC and impulsivity to internalizing problems.

Testing the hierarchical structure of the Children's Depression Inventory: a multigroup analysis

Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, the aims were (a) to obtain, describe, and compare different solutions of three, five, and six first-order factors raised in the previous literature about the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI); (b) analyze the number and nature of the second-order factors; (c) test which model best reproduces the CDI structure; and (d) test possible developmental differences between child and adolescent samples. The CDI was applied to 4,707 Spanish children and adolescents with an age range between 7 and 16 years. Results show that best models considered five or six factors, including Social Problems (Anhedonia), Negative Affect, Externalizing, School Problems, and Negative Self-Esteem (Self-Deprecation). Also, a factor of Biological Dysregulation obtained some support. Higher-order factors do not reproduce the classical distinction between internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Finally, no large developmental differences in the CDI structure were found between children and adolescents samples.

Children's Depression Inventory in Estonia. Single items and factor structure by age and gender

The aim of study was to estimate the score of symptoms of depression with the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) among Estonian schoolchildren aged 7-13-year-old, according to age and gender differences, and to identify the components in factor analysis characterising self-reported childhood symptoms of depression. The applicability of the CDI in 7-year-old children was also estimated. The number of subjects in the study was 725 (342 girls and 383 boys), and the mean age was 10.2 (SD 1.7). The mean total score of the CDI for the whole sample was 9.96 (SD = 6.3, range 0-39, median 9.0). The mean scores of symptoms of depression among children did not differ by gender or age. There were no significant differences in the CDI mean scores between 7-year-old compared to older schoolchildren in the present study. Factor analysis obtained five factors: anhedonia, ineffectiveness, negative self-esteem, negative mood and interpersonal problems. Significant gender and age differences were found: girls reported more symptoms of anhedonia and negative self-esteem, and boys reported more symptoms of ineffectiveness. Younger children reported more symptoms of anhedonia and ineffectiveness, and older children negative self-esteem. The study serves as baseline data before intervention of the EC project "European Alliance Against Depression".

Relations of effortful control, reactive undercontrol, and anger to Chinese children's adjustment

The purpose of the study was to examine the zero-order and unique relations of effortful attentional and behavioral regulation, reactive impulsivity, and anger/frustration to Chinese first and second graders' internalizing and externalizing symptoms, as well as the prediction of adjustment from the interaction of anger/frustration and effortful control or impulsivity. A parent and teacher reported on children's anger/frustration, effortful control, and impulsivity. Parents reported on children's internalizing symptoms, and teachers and peers reported on children's externalizing symptoms. Children were classified as relatively high on externalizing (or comorbid), internalizing, or nondisordered. High impulsivity and teacher-reported anger/frustration, and low effortful control, were associated with externalizing problems, whereas low effortful control and high parent-reported anger were predictive of internalizing problems. Unique prediction from effortful and reactive control was obtained and these predictors (especially when reported by teachers) often interacted with anger/frustration when predicting problem behavior classification.

Intellectual Ability, Self-perceived Social Competence, and Depressive Symptomatology in Children with High-functioning Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Although social competence deficits in children with high-functioning autistic spectrum disorders (HFASD) are well documented, there is little research investigating self-perceptions of social limitations. This study replicated research showing a negative association between self-perceived social competence and intellectual ability and investigated associations between self-perceived social competence and depressive symptomatology. Participants were 22 children with HFASD, aged 7-13 years with intelligence quotient (IQ) scores of 82-141. Parent- (N = 18) and teacher- (N = 17) rated social competence was lower for children with HFASD compared with a normative sample. Higher age and IQ predicted lower levels of self-perceived social competence, and low self-perceived social competence predicted higher levels of depressive symptomatology. Almost a third of children rated themselves for depression; parent ratings suggested even higher levels.

The Children Depression Inventory as Predictor of Social and Scholastic Competence

Summary This work analyzes the relationship between the different CDI factors, nonsocialized personality traits as measured by the Psychoticism and Antisocial Behavior EPQ scales, academic achievement, and general intelligence. Participants in this study were 678 8th-grade Basic General Education students (secondary), of whom 315 were boys and 363 girls, with an average mean age of 13 years. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the CDI performed yielded four orthogonal factors. The third factor (CDI-III; Incompetence/Maladjustment) was integrated by items related to social and academic maladjusted behavior. The CDI was negatively correlated with academic achievement, although this correlation disappeared when performing partial correlations controlling for CDI-III. A regression analysis further corroborated that CDI-III was the only CDI factor related to low academic achievement. The results also show that the CDI-III and Introversion for boys, and the CDI-III and Neuroticism for girls, were the most predictive variables of low academic achievement.

The Children's Depression Inventory: error in cutoff scores for screening purposes

The Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) is used to screen for depression in school-age children. Such screening uses the manual's reported information on suggested cutoff scores. These cutoff scores are based on an erroneous base-rate calculation and an inadequate methodology. Data are provided showing that for the suggested cutoff scores of 13 or 20, the CDI has poor receiver-operating characteristics. Indeed, for the cutoff score of 20, suggested as being suitable for screening in the general population (e.g., schools), clinicians will miss 86% of depressed children. In conclusion, it is recommended that the CDI is better suited as a continuous measure of mood and that cutoff scores should not be used to screen for the likely presence or absence of depression.

Parental warmth, control, and indulgence and their relations to adjustment in Chinese children: a longitudinal study

A sample of children, initially 12 years old, in the People's Republic of China participated in this 2-year longitudinal study. Data on parental warmth, control, and indulgence were collected from children's self-reports. Information concerning social, academic, and psychological adjustment was obtained from multiple sources. The results indicated that parenting styles might be a function of child gender and change with age. Regression analyses revealed that parenting styles of fathers and mothers predicted different outcomes. Whereas maternal warmth had significant contributions to the prediction of emotional adjustment, paternal warmth significantly predicted later social and school achievement. It was also found that paternal, but not maternal, indulgence significantly predicted children's adjustment difficulties. The contributions of the parenting variables might be moderated by the child's initial conditions.

Sociable and prosocial dimensions of social competence in Chinese children: common and unique contributions to social, academic, and psychological adjustment

A sample of 6th-grade children (N = 470), initially aged 12 years, in Shanghai, People's Republic of China, participated in this longitudinal study. Data on children's sociability and prosocial orientation were collected from peer assessments. Information on indexes of adjustment was obtained from multiple sources. The results indicated that sociable and prosocial functions were 2 overlapping, but distinct, dimensions of social competence and had common as well as unique contributions to the prediction of adjustment in specific areas. Whereas prosocial orientation was mainly predictive of social and school adjustment and externalizing problems, sociability uniquely contributed to the prediction of internalizing problems and emotional adjustment. Finally, prosocial orientation and sociability might moderate the development of adjustment difficulties.

Social skills deficits associated with depression

This article reviews the empirical evidence of impaired social skills associated with depression. Conceptualizations of social skills are examined followed by evidence from self-report, observer-rating, and behavioral assessments of depressed people's social skills. Evidence of social skills deficits in children with depression and in people with bipolar disorder is also examined. The effectiveness of social skills training as a treatment of depression is evaluated. Three different theoretical relationships between disrupted social skills and depression are described and evaluated, including poor social skills as a cause of depression, depression as a cause of poor social skills, and poor social skills as a vulnerability factor in the development of depression. Currently, there is some evidence to support each of these conceptualizations, as the relationship between poor social skills and depression can take a variety of forms.