Longitudinal associations between depression symptoms and peer experiences: Evidence of symptoms-driven pathways

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2017.05.003Get rights and content

Highlights

  • A symptoms-driven model of depression symptoms and poor peer experiences was supported.

  • Depression symptoms predicted peer rejection across reporters in late childhood and adolescence.

  • Depression symptoms predicted peer rejection more strongly at school transition than later years.

  • Depression symptoms predicted later peer victimization when data were self-reported.

  • Peer victimization predicted later peer rejection and not the reverse.

Abstract

Although most studies suggest that depression is a consequence of poor treatment by peers, these studies have often failed to consider alternative models. We compared the interpersonal risk model (poor peer relations leading to depression), the symptoms-driven model (depression leading to poor peer relations), and the transactional model (depression and poor peer relations sharing a bidirectional association) using a multi-informant cascade modelling approach. Data were collected annually from 703 youth and their parents beginning in grade 5 (age 10–11) and concluding in grade 12 (age 17–18). Accounting for within and across time associations, a symptoms-driven model was replicated across parent- and self-reported depression symptoms in predicting later perceived peer rejection. This relation was stronger during school transition than later years. Self-reported depression symptoms also predicted self-reported peer victimization. This study adds to a growing literature demonstrating the need to consider different models as depression symptoms can precede peer relations difficulties.

Section snippets

Depression symptoms and poor peer experiences

Depression and symptoms of depression in childhood and adolescence are strongly linked to two separate but related constructs: peer victimization and peer rejection (Choukas-Bradley & Prinstein, 2014). Peer victimization occurs when an individual is the repeated recipient of intentional aggression, in the presence of a power imbalance (Olweus, 2001). Peer rejection is defined as being actively disliked by peers (Coie, Dodge, & Coppotelli, 1982). Although peer victimization and peer rejection

Interpersonal risk model

Research on the link between peer victimization, peer rejection, and depression symptoms has tended to focus on the interpersonal risk model in which the stressor of poor peer relations confers a risk for increased symptoms of depression (Cole, 1990, Nolan et al., 2003, Schwartz et al., 2015, Schwartz et al., 2005, Ttofi et al., 2011, Zimmer-Gembeck et al., 2010). For example, Schwartz et al. (2005) found that peer victimization (peer- and teacher-reported) was linked to depression symptoms

Symptoms-driven model

Less research attention has been paid to a symptoms-driven pathway in which the reverse relation is observed (i.e., depression symptoms conferring a risk for maladaptive interpersonal outcomes, particularly in the area of peer relations; Agoston and Rudolph, 2013, Kochel et al., 2012, Rudolph, 2009, Sourander et al., 2000, Vaillancourt et al., 2013). The scar hypothesis predicts that those who have experienced an episode of depression (or symptoms of depression) will experience long-lasting

Transactional model

There is also evidence supporting a transactional model (Sameroff, 2009) in which qualities of the individual (i.e., depression symptoms) and the environment (i.e., peer relations) share a bidirectional relation over time (Kaltiala-Heino et al., 2010, Platt et al., 2013, Sweeting et al., 2006). The transactional model emphasizes the changing nature of the environment and the changing nature of the individual where the individual influences the environment and their own development (Sameroff,

Present study

In the present study, we addressed these limitations by examining the relations between symptoms of depression and two types of peer relations difficulties (i.e., peer victimization and perceived peer rejection) across 8 years of development beginning in grade 5 and ending in grade 12 in a large cohort of Canadian youth and using multiple informants (i.e., youth and parents). Moreover, we examined the direction of association between these constructs by comparing three different theoretical

Participants and procedures

Participants were drawn from the McMaster Teen Study, a large longitudinal study examining the stability and change of social experiences and mental health from childhood into adolescence. Data collection began in the spring of 2008 when youth were in grade 5 and continued annually until the spring of 2015, when youth were in grade 12. Grade 5 classrooms were selected from a random sample of 51 schools. Parents and youth were asked for consent and assent respectively each year and the study has

Results

Data were tested for assumptions of normality. Most values of skewness and kurtosis were under recommended ranges of 3 and 10 respectively (Kline, 2011) but kurtosis values for peer victimization in grades 11 and 12 were higher than 10 (grade 11 = 11.53; grade 12 = 10.41). This appeared to be due to few extreme scores of peer victimization; however, upon examining cases, the scores were consistent with previous years. That is, there were some individuals who were chronically bullied by their peers

Discussion

In the current study we examined the temporal priority of depression symptoms and poor peer experiences (i.e., perceived peer rejection and peer victimization) across late childhood to late adolescence using a multiple-informant cascade modelling approach spanning eight years of annual assessments. To date, most studies examining the longitudinal sequence between depression symptoms and poor peer experiences have suffered from notable problems such as being short-term, having long periods of

Acknowledgement

This research is supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (201009MOP-232632-CHI-CECA-136591), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (435-2016-1251 and 833-2004-1019), the Ontario Mental Health Foundation (PA-13-303) and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program. We thank the parents and youth for their continued support and participation in the McMaster Teen Study. We also thank Heather Brittain and Patricia McDougall for their invaluable

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