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Longitudinal Dynamics of Depressogenic Personality and Attachment Dimensions in Adolescence: An Examination of Associations with Changes in Depressive Symptoms

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Abstract

Depressogenic personality and attachment are two major factors related to the development of adolescents’ depressive symptoms. However, no previous longitudinal studies have examined simultaneously both vulnerability factors in relationship to depressive symptoms. The present study examined associations between intra-individual change in adolescents’ depressogenic personality orientations (i.e., sociotropy and autonomy), dimensions of mother–adolescent attachment (i.e., anxiety and avoidance), and depressive symptoms. The sample of the present research consisted of 289 high school students (mean age = 12.51 years at Time 1, 66 % female) participating in a 3-wave cohort-sequential design. Latent growth curve modeling revealed no significant intra-individual change in depressogenic personality orientations but significant changes in dimensions of attachment and symptoms of depression. Initial levels of sociotropy were not related significantly to changes in attachment dimensions and depressive symptoms. High initial levels of autonomy were associated with increases in attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance, and depressive symptoms. In addition, results suggested that the association between initial levels of autonomy and increases in depressive symptoms was mediated by increases in attachment anxiety and avoidance. The discussion focuses on the status of depressogenic personality and attachment as risk factors for depression.

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Notes

  1. Prior to using LGC modeling, we also ran a series of cross-lagged analyses. In contrast to LGC models, which focus on intra-individual change, such models address rank-order change. All analyses showed high rank-order stability. Possibly as a result of the high rank-order stability, few, if any, cross-lagged paths were found. In other words, initial levels in one domain of vulnerability did not predict rank-order changes in another domain of vulnerability and vice versa. It is interesting to see that, even in the absence of such rank-order effects, our LGC analyses show that significant effects do occur at the level of intra-individual change (with depressogenic personality for instance predicting changes in attachment insecurity).

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Acknowledgments

KB is a doctoral researcher at the Special Research Fund of Ghent University (BOF). KB conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, performed statistical analyses, and drafted the manuscript; BS conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, helped to perform the statistical analyses, and helped to draft the manuscript; CB participated in the design of the study and helped to draft the manuscript; WB helped performing the statistical analyses and interpreting the data. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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  1. Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Katrijn Brenning, Bart Soenens, Caroline Braet & Wim Beyers

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  1. Katrijn Brenning
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  2. Bart Soenens
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  3. Caroline Braet
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Correspondence to Katrijn Brenning.

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Brenning, K., Soenens, B., Braet, C. et al. Longitudinal Dynamics of Depressogenic Personality and Attachment Dimensions in Adolescence: An Examination of Associations with Changes in Depressive Symptoms. J Youth Adolescence 42, 1128–1144 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-012-9879-z

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