Skip to main content
Log in

Adolescent Self-Rated Depressive Symptoms in a Swiss Epidemiological Study

  • Published:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The correlates of self-rated depressive symptoms were examined in an epidemiological sample of Swiss adolescents. Subjects, aged 12 to 17 years, were assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, a Life Event Scale, scales measuring self-related cognitions, coping capacities, perceived parental behavior, school environment, and social network. Based on the distribution of the depression scores, 3 subsamples of nondepressed, moderately depressed, and severely depressed subjects were formed. The severely depressed group was clearly differentiated from the other two groups by almost all scales, with a special relevance of negative self-esteem and the impact of life events. The results of this epidemiological study indicate that various factors reflecting personality, life-events, and the psychosocial environment relate to adolescent depression.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Block, J., and Gjerde, P. F. (1990). Depressive symptoms in late adolescence: A longitudinal perspective on personality antecedents. In Rolf, J., Masten, A. S., Cicchetti, D., Nuechterlein K. H., and Weintraub, S. (ed.), Risk and Protective Factors in the Development of Psychopathology. Cambridge University Press, New York, pp. 334–360.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, S., and Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychol. Bull. 98: 310–357.

    Google Scholar 

  • Compas, B. E. (1987). Coping with stress during childhood and adolescence. Psychol. Bull. 101: 393–403.

    Google Scholar 

  • Compas, B. E., Malcarne, V. L., and Fondacaro, K. M. (1988). Coping with stressful events in older children and young adolescents. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 56: 405–411.

    Google Scholar 

  • Faulstich, M. E., Carey, M. P., Ruggiero, L., Enyart, P., and Gresham, F. (1986). Assessment of depression in childhood and adolescence: An evaluation of the center for epidemiological studies depression scale for children (CES-DC). Am. J. Psychiat. 143: 1024–1027.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fend, H., and Prester, H.-G. (1986). Bericht aus dem Projekt “Entwicklung im Jugendalter” [Report from the project “Development in adolescence”] (in German). Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Constance, Germany.

    Google Scholar 

  • Filipp, S.-H. (1990). Lebensereignisforschung—eine Bilanz. In Filipp, S.-H. (ed.), Kritische Lebensereignisse. Psychologie Verlags Union, München, pp. 2293–2326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Filipp, S.-H., and Freudenberg, E. (1989). Der Fragebogen zur Erfassung dispositionaler Selbstaufmerksamkeit [Questionnaire for the Assessment of Dispositional Self-Awareness] (in German) Hogrefe, Göttingen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ge, X., Lorenz, F. O., Conger, R. D., Elder, G. H., Jr., and Simons, R. L. (1994). Trajectories of stressful life events and depressive symptoms during adolescence. Develop. Psychol. 30: 467–483.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodyer, I. M. (1990). Life Experiences, Development and Childhood Psychopathology. Wiley, Chichester.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodyer, I. M., and Altham, P. M. E. (1991). Lifetime exit events and recent social and family adversities in anxious and depressed school-age children and adolescents—II. J. Affective Disord. 21: 229–238.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammen, C. (1992). Cognitive, life stress, and interpersonal approaches to a developmental psychopathology model of depression. Develop. Psychopathol. 4: 189–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harter, S. (1990). Self and identity development. In Feldman, S. S., and Elliott, G. R. (ed.), At the Threshold. The Developing Adolescent. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, pp. 352–387.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hautzinger, M., and Bailer, M. (1993). Allgemeine Depressions-Skala (ADS) [German version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) Allgemeine Depressions-Skala (ADS)] (in German). Beltz, Weinheim.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hull, J. G. (1981). A self-awareness model of the causes and effects of alcohol consumption. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 90: 596–600.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jorgensen, R. S., and Dusek, J. B. (1990). Adolescent adjustment and coping strategies. J. Personality 58: 503–513.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kashani, J. H., and Schmid, L. S. (1992). Epidemiology and etiology of depressive disorders. In Shafii, M., and Shafii, S. L. (eds.), Clinical Guide to Depression in Children and Adolecents. American Psychiatric Press, Inc., Washington, DC, pp. 43–64.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewinsohn, D. M., Rohde, P., and Seeley, J. R. (1998). Major depressive disorder in older adolescents: Prevalence, risk factors, and clinical implications. Clin. Psychol. Rev. 18: 765–794.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewinsohn, P. M., Gotlib, I. H., and Seeley, J. R. (1995). Adolescent psychopathology: IV. Specificity of psychosocial risk factors for depression and substance abuse in older adolescents. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiat. 34: 1221–1229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewinsohn, P. M., Hops, H., Roberts, R. E., Seeley, J. R., and Andrews, J. A. (1993). Adolescent psychopathology: I. Prevalence and incidence of depression and other DSM-III-R disorders in high school students. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 102: 133–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewinsohn, P. M., Roberts, R. E., Seeley, J. R., Rohde, P., Gotlib, I. H., and Hops, H. (1994). Adolescent psychopathology: II. Psychosocial risk factors for depression. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 103: 302–315.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R. R., and Costa, P. T., Jr. (1986). Personality, coping and coping effectiveness in an adult sample. J. Personality 54: 385–405.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, G. R., and Capaldi, D. M. (1990). A mediational model for boys' depressed mood. In Rolf, J., Masten, A. S., Cicchetti, K. H., Nuechterlein, K. H., and Weintraaub, S. (eds.), Handbood of Developmental Psychopathology. Plenum Press, New York, pp. 341–351.

    Google Scholar 

  • Putallaz, M., and Dunn, S. E. (1990). The importance of peer relations. In Lewis, M., and Miller, S. M. (eds.), Handbook of Developmental Psychopathology. Plenum Press, New York, pp. 227–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Appl. Psychological Measurement 1: 385–401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rapee, R. M. (1997). Potential role of childrearing practices in the development of anxiety and depression. Clinical Psychol. Rev. 17: 47–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rehm, L. P., and Carter, A. S. (1990). Cognitive components of depression. In Lewis, M., and Miller, S. M. (eds.), Handbook of Developmental Psychopathology. Plenum Press, New York, pp. 341–351.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renouf, A. G., and Harter, S. (1990). Low self-worth and anger as components of the depressive experience in young adolescents. Develop. Psychopathol. 2: 293–310.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, R. E., Andrews, J. A., Lewinsohn, P. M., and Hops, M. (1990). Assessment of depression in adolescents using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Psychol. Assess.: J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 2: 122–128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, R. E., Lewinsohn, P. M., and Seeley, J. R. (1991). Screening for adolescent depression: A comparison of depression scales. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiat. 30: 58–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the Adolescent Self-Image. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberg, M. (1979). Society and the Adolescent Self-Image. Basic, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M. (1995). Causal concepts and their testing. In Rutter, M., and Smith, D. J. (eds.), Psychosocial Disorders in Young People: Time Trends and Their Causes. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, pp. 7–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., and Cox, A. (1985). Other family influences. In Rutter, M., and Hersov, L. (eds.), Child and Adolescent PsychiatryModern Approaches. Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 58–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer, E. S. (1965). Children's reports of parental behavior: An inventory. Child Dev. 36: 417–424.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schludermann, E., and Schludermann, S. (1970). Replicability of factors in children's report of parent behavior (CRPBI). J. Psychol. 76: 239–249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seiffge-Krenke, I. (1989). Bewältigung alltäglicher Problemsituationen: Ein Coping-Fragebogen für Jugendliche [Coping with everyday problem situations: A coping questionnaire for adolescents] (in German). Zeitschrift für Differentielle und Diagnostische Psychologie. 10: 201–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegelman, M. (1965). Evaluation of Bronfenbrenner's questionnaire for children concerning parental behavior. Child Dev. 36: 163–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinhausen, H.-C., Winkler, C., and Meier, M. (1997a). Eating disorders in adolescence in a Swiss epidemiological study. Int. J. Eating Disord. 22: 147–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinhausen, H.-C., and Winkler Metzke, C. (1998a). Frequency and correlates of substance use among preadolescents and adolescents in a Swiss epidemiological study. J. Child Psychol. Psychiat. 39: 387–397.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinhausen, H.-C., and Winkler Metzke, C. (1998b). Youth self report of behavioral and emotional problems in a Swiss epidemiological study. J. Youth Adolesc. 27: 425–441.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinhausen, H.-C., Winkler Metzke, C., Meier, M., and Kannenberg, R. (1998). Prevalence of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders: The Zürich Epidemiological Study. Acta. Psychiatr. Scand. 98: 262–271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinhausen, H. C., Winkler Metzke, C., Meier, M., and Kannenberg, R. (1997b). Behavioral and emotional problems reported by parents for ages 6 to 17 in a Swiss epidemiological study. Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiat. 6: 136–141.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williamson, D. E., Birmaher, B., Anderson, B. P., Al-Shabbout, M., and Ryan, N. D. (1995). Stressful life events in depressed adolescents: The role of dependent events during the depressive episode. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiat. 34: 591–598.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolkind, S., and Rutter, M. (1985a). Separation, loss and family relationships. In Rutter, M., and Hersov, L. (eds.), Child and Adolescent PsychiatryModern Approaches. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, pp. 34–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolkind, S., and Rutter, M. (1985b). Sociocultural factors. In Rutter, M., and Hersov, L. (eds.), Child and Adolescent PsychiatryModern Approaches. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, pp. 82–100.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Steinhausen, HC., Metzke, C.W. Adolescent Self-Rated Depressive Symptoms in a Swiss Epidemiological Study. Journal of Youth and Adolescence 29, 427–440 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005106409022

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005106409022

Keywords

Navigation