Citation

Lanson A, Marcotte D. Can. J. Behav. Sci. 2012; 44(3): 231-243.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Canadian Psychological Association, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1037/a0025722

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Longitudinal studies about depressive symptoms, social support perception, and cognitive distorsions in teenagers are rare, especially when it comes to the transition from elementary to high school. This longitudinal study aims at examining during this period: 1) the evolution of these three factors; 2) the direction of the relation between depressive symptoms and support perception; and 3) the effects of sex and cognitive distortions on the direction of this relation. The sample is composed of 242 boys and 223 girls, followed from sixth grade until their second year in high school. Questionnaires were completed in the classroom.

RESULTS show that depressive symptoms and support perception from friends increase between sixth grade and the second year of high school, while support perception from parents and teacher and cognitive distortions decrease.

RESULTS suggest that during this transition, a decrease in support perception from parents or teacher better predicts depressive symptoms than their increase predicts the perception of a weak degree of support from parents or teacher. Finally, the results do not allow one to claim that cognitive distortions impact the direction of these relations. In conclusion, the transition from elementary to high school is associated in teenagers with a marked decrease of support perception from significant adults, and this would contribute more importantly to an increase in depressive symptoms than a decrease in support perception from friends would. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

Keywords

Adolescent Development; Elementary Schools; High Schools; Major Depression; Perceptual Distortion; School Transition; Social Support; Symptoms