Mild and severe childhood depression: differences and implications for prevention programs in the school setting

Figures & data

Table 1 Connection between mild and severe depression with clinical/adaptive variables, emotional/behavioral problems, and childhood stress

Variables	No depression (n=351)	Mild depression (n=42)	Severe depression (n=24)	F (2, 414)	P-value	h	Post hoc	95% CI
	M (SD)	M (SD)	M (SD)
BASC. Clinical Scales
Clinical maladjustment	139.41 (22.52)	160.26 (28.48)	180.26 (31.93)	43.16	<0.001	0.173	1<2<3	159 (155–164)
School maladjustment	98.69 (14.91)	111.38 (22.12)	115.26 (19.23)	21.56	<0.001	0.095	1<2,3	108 (105–111)
Personal adaptation	201.48 (22.36)	182.64 (28.48)	174.52 (33.66)	23.75	<0.001	0.103	1>2,3	186 (182–190)
Emotional symptoms index	280.38 (33.66)	312.62 (37.75)	351.48 (58.68)	53.84	<0.001	0.207	1<2<3	314 (308–321)
SPECI. Emotional/behavioral problems
Internalizing problems	0.54 (1.10)	0.74 (1.03)	1.13 (2.02)	3.17	0.043	0.015	1<3; 1=2;	0.80 (0.60–1)
Externalizing problems	0.40 (0.92)	0.71 (1.21)	0.62 (1.13)	2.37	0.095	0.012	2=3 ns ns	0.58 (0.41–0.74)
Emotional and behavioral problems	0.94 (1.71)	1.45 (1.75)	1.75 (2.90)	3.44	0.033	0.017		1.38 (1.07–1.69)
IECI. General stress	4.01 (2.93)	6.60 (3.16)	9.17 (3.88)	43.40	<0.001	0.174	1<2<3	6.59 (6.07–7.10)

Note: No depression = ≤ percentile 84; mild depression = percentile 85–94; severe depression = ≥ percentile 95. ns= nonsignificant. Post hoc: 1 = no depression, 2 = mild depression, 3 = severe depression; CI 95% = 95% CI (lower and upper limit).

Abbreviations: BASC, Behavior Assessment System for Children; IECI, inventory of daily stress in children; SPECI, Screening for Children’s Emotional and Behavioral Problems.

Table 2 Connection between mild and severe depression with self-concept, social skills, and resilience

Variables	No depression (n=351)	Mild depression (n=42)	Severe depression (n=24)	F(2, 414)	P-value	Eta	Post hoc	CI 95%
	M (SD)	M (SD)	M (SD)
CAG. Global self-concept	190.17 (18.50)	173.07 (19.10)	166.92 (28.67)	28.75	<0.001	0.122	1>2.3; 2=3	176 (173–180)
SSIS. Global scales
Social skills	109.99 (14.56)	99.40 (16.52)	100.88 (16.34)	12.77	<0.001	0.058	1>2.3; 2=3	103 (100–105)
Problems behaviors	19.50 (11.13)	29.12 (12.36)	31.33 (12.58)	23.75	<0.001	0.103	1<2.3; 2=3	26 (24–28)
RSCA. Global resilience indices
Sense of competence	58.45 (10.36)	50.64 (10.24)	50.17 (11.96)	6.20	<0.001	0.073	1>2.3; 2=3	53 (51–54)
Sense of affiliation	76.44 (12.74)	69.40 (12.48)	67.58 (14.93)	10.16	<0.001	0.047	1>2.3; 2=3	71 (68–73)
Emotional reactivity	21.05 (14.85)	29.50 (14.47)	32.79 (12.69)	12.34	<0.001	0.056	1<2.3; 2=3	27 (25–30)

Note: No depression =≤ percentile 84; mild depression = percentile 85–94; severe depression =≥ percentile 95. Post hoc: 1= no depression, 2= mild depression, 3= severe depression; CI 95% = 95% confidence intervals (lower and upper limit).

Abbreviations: CAG, self-concept questionnaire; RSCA, Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents; SSIS, Social Skills Improvement System.

Table 3 Summary of the results

Objectives	Results
Prevalence: percentage of students who suffer mild and severe depression	NoD: 84.2% MD : 10% SD: 5.8%
Degrees of depression and relationship with clinical/adaptive variables, emotional/behavioral problems, and childhood stress Degrees of depression and relationship with self-concept, social skills, and resilience	BASC SPECI IECI CAG SSIS RSCA	Clinical maladjustment: NoD< MD< SD. Emotional symptoms index: NoD< MD< SD. School maladjustment: NoD< MD, SD Personal adaptation: NoD> MD, SD Internalizing problems: NoD< SD; NoD = MD; MD = SD Externalizing problems: NoD = MD= SD General stress: NoD< MD<SD Self-concept: NoD> MD, SD Social skills: NoD> MD, SD Problem behaviors: NoD< MD, SD Sense of competence: NoD> MD, SD Sense of affiliation: NoD> MD, SD Emotional reactivity: NoD< MD, SD

Abbreviations: BASC, Behavior Assessment System for Children; CAG, self-concept questionnaire; IECI, inventory of daily stress in children; MD, mild depression; NoD, no depression; RSCA, Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents; SD, severe depression; SSIS, Social Skills Improvement System.