Influences on childhood depressive symptoms: the effects of trauma and distress tolerance across age and sex groups
Abstract
Background Depression affects many children and adolescents, leading to poor academic performance, impaired psychosocial functioning, and an increased frequency of suicidal behavior. Depression has also been notably associated with trauma and distress tolerance. Our study sought to understand the relationships of these variables across age and sex categories in youth and adolescents.Methods The current study examined data from a total of 324 participants between the ages of 7 and 17 years-old who were a part of a larger study. Data related to age, sex, depression, trauma, and distress tolerance were examined.Results A multiple regression revealed a significant interaction between age and sex on depression severity. Further, trauma and age by sex categories significantly predicted depression score, as well as distress tolerance predicting depression score. Lastly, a regression analysis, including trauma, distress tolerance, and age by sex categories were significant predictors of depression.Limitations The results are limited by the cross-sectional design.Conclusion Clinicians should consider age by sex effects when treating childhood depression. Future research should further the understanding of depression across age and sex groups, as well as among children with extensive trauma experiences. Future research should also seek to further understand the implications of distress tolerance therapy on childhood depression.
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Research suggests that DT may function differently depending on age, gender, sample type, and DT measurement type.
“For instance, research suggests that DT may function differently depending on variables such as age (Rette et al., 2021), gender (Daughters et al., 2014), sample type (i.e., whether participants are from a clinical or non-clinical population; Tonarely and Ehrenreich-May 2020), and DT measurement type (Glassman et al., 2016).”
From Distress tolerance across substance use, eating, and borderline personality disorders: A meta-analysis (2022) · cites this paper as Rette et al., 2021
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- Authors
- Rette, D. N., Arnold, M. S., McDonald, E. M., Hoptman, M. J., Collins, K. A., & Iosifescu, D. V.
- Affiliations
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research (US)
- Corresponding author
- Rette, Danielle N.
- Venue
- Journal of Affective Disorders
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-03
- Volume
- 283
- Pages
- 373-376
- ISSN
- 0165-0327 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3126897583
- Cited by
- 9
- References
- 15
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2
- FWCI
- 1.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Affective Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- childhood depression, depressive symptoms, trauma, distress tolerance, age differences, sex differences, adolescents, youth
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Child, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Humans, Suicidal Ideation
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