Predictors of Depressive Cognitions in Young Adolescents

This prospective study examined the contribution of maternal history of depression, mothers' cognitive style, mothers' parenting style, and stressful life events to depressive cognitions in 240 young adolescents. Mothers and adolescents were assessed annually over 3 years starting in sixth grade. The cognitions examined were derived from cognitive models of depression and included self-worth, attributional style, and hopelessness. Maternal history of depression was associated with all three types of negative cognitions in offspring; maternal parenting style and stressful life events significantly incremented the prediction of teens' negative cognitions beyond maternal depression. Adolescents' self-worth was significantly predicted by low maternal acceptance. Attributional style was associated with maternal attributional style for child-focused events, and significantly predicted by maternal psychological control and negative life events. Hopelessness was predicted by high levels of stressful life events, particularly among youth with low self-worth.