Mood Symptoms and Emotional Responsiveness to Threat in School-Aged Children

Abstract

Clinical accounts of depression underscore its relation to negative emotional experiences; yet few empirical studies examine emotional experiences in adults with depression, with even less work on depression and emotion in children. Using a nonclinical sample of school-aged children (n = 89) ages 8 to 12, this study evaluated whether greater mood symptoms were associated with more or less intense emotional reactions (measured via psychophysiology, subjective report, and behavior) in response to a threat paradigm. Results indicated that greater negative mood symptoms were associated with larger startle magnitude responses during threat, increased self-reports of negative emotion, and greater likelihood of crying and stopping the paradigm prematurely.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants from National Science Foundation, the Center for Mental Health Promotion, and by National Institutes of Health Grant 1-F32AG032310-01 awarded to the first author. Special thanks are due to Daryn David, Nicki Hunter, and Eric Langlois for their assistance with the project. Finally, thanks are due to all of the children and families who participated in this study.

Notes

¹Although we have characterized the threat presented in the fear-potentiated startle paradigm as being nonsocial, for some children it may actually present a social threat. For example, after hearing the instructions for the paradigm, one male participant responded, “I don't believe you—you're going to puff me when the safe guy is on the screen.” Despite multiple reassurances from the experimenter, this child persisted in his assertion that the experimenter was going to trick him.

^a N = 89.

^b n = 39.

^c n = 50.

^d Startle magnitude is reported in Hz units; all data were standardized using t transformations prior to analysis and all values reflect mean responses across condition.

^a N = 89.

^b n = 50.

^c n = 39.

Note: CDI = Children's Depression Inventory.

^a N = 89.

^b n = 40.

^c Groups derived based on a median split. Data are presented using this dichotomy for ease of inspection, but study hypotheses are addressed using continuous CDI scores.

^d n = 49.

^e Startle magnitude is reported in Hz units; all data were standardized using t transformations prior to analysis and all values reflect mean responses across condition.

*p < .05. **p < .01.

²Anecodotal observations of the experimenter indicated that several of the children used active emotion regulation strategies throughout the startle task, such as talking aloud throughout the task (e.g., “Oh, it's the safe guy. No puff of air for this one”; “Here's the threat one—the puff wasn't very scary last time, though”), counting the number of puffs they received, or using deep breathing during the task. The children were not given any instructions about using techniques during the paradigm, so any reliance on emotion regulation techniques was self-motivated.