Depressive Symptoms in Low-Income, Urban Adolescents: Cognitive and Contextual Factors

Abstract

This study examined the relationships among cognitive variables, family immigration history, negative life events, and depressive symptoms in a sample of 306 low-income, urban fifth- and sixth-grade children. Explanatory style and negative automatic thoughts were the cognitive variables examined. There were three key findings. First, children who were immigrants reported significantly more depressive symptoms, more negative life events, and more negative automatic thoughts than children who were not immigrants. Second, both explanatory style and negative automatic thoughts were significantly associated with depressive symptoms above and beyond the effects of child immigration history and negative life events. Finally, negative automatic thoughts mediated the relationship between child immigration history and depressive symptoms. We discuss the clinical and research implications of these findings.

KEYWORDS:

• cognitive
• context
• depression
• immigration
• urban

Notes

*p < .01, **p < .001, ***p < .0001. CDI = Children's Depression Inventory; CASQ–R = Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire–Revised; ATQ = Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire; LEQ = Life Events Questionnaire.

*p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .0001.