Emotional Maltreatment, Peer Victimization, and Depressive versus Anxiety Symptoms During Adolescence: Hopelessness as a Mediator

Abstract

Objective Extensive comorbidity between depression and anxiety has driven research to identify unique and shared risk factors. This study prospectively examined the specificity of three interpersonal stressors (emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and relationally-oriented peer victimization) as predictors of depressive versus anxiety symptoms in a racially-diverse community sample of adolescents. We expanded on past research by examining hopelessness as a mediator of the relationships between these interpersonal stressors and symptoms. Method Participants included 225 adolescents (55% African-American; 59% female; Mean age = 12.84 years) who completed measures at baseline (Time 1) and two follow-up assessments (Times 2 and 3). Symptoms of depression and anxiety (social, physical, total) were assessed at Time 1 and Time 3, while intervening emotional maltreatment, peer victimization, and hopelessness were assessed at Time 2. Results Hierarchical linear regressions indicated that emotional abuse was a nonspecific predictor of increases in both depressive symptoms and symptoms of social, physical, and total anxiety, whereas relationally-oriented peer victimization predicted depressive symptoms specifically. Emotional neglect did not predict increases in depressive or anxiety symptoms. In addition, hopelessness mediated the relationships between emotional abuse and increases in symptoms of depression and social anxiety. Conclusions These findings suggest that emotional abuse and relationally-oriented peer victimization are interpersonal stressors that are relevant to the development of internalizing symptoms in adolescence, and that hopelessness may be one mechanism through which emotional abuse contributes to an increased risk of depression and social anxiety.

The role of timing of maltreatment and child intelligence in pathways to low symptoms of depression and anxiety in adolescence

“…Thus, we will investigate whether early childhood and early adolescent maltreatment predict depression and anxiety symptoms more than mid-childhood maltreatment. Numerous studies demonstrated that child maltreatment is predictive of depression and anxiety symptoms (e.g., Collishaw et al, 2007;Hamilton et al, 2013;McGloin & Widom, 2001;Scott et al, 2010;Spinhoven et al, 2010) and impairments in cognitive functioning measured later in life (e.g., Gould et al, 2012;Hart & Rubia, 2012;Jaffee & Maikovich-Fong, 2011;Mills et al, 2011;Navalta, Polcari, Webster, Boghossian, & Teicher, 2006;Spann et al, 2012). There is also evidence from longitudinal studies that higher IQ was predictive of fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety (Kitano & Lewis, 2005;Koenen et al, 2009;Weeks et al, 2014).…”

What Explains Correlates of Peer Victimization? A Systematic Review of Mediating Factors

“…In a broad sense, emotion-related constructs, self-perceptions, and emotional and behavioral reactions to peer victimization were studied as potential explanations for internalizing problems in victimized adolescents. For instance, hopelessness was examined in two studies, one of which did not find a link between relationally oriented peer victimization and the mediator (Hamilton et al 2013), thus did not test for mediation, whereas the second study (based on the same sample) showed that hopelessness mediated the link between peer victimization and depression but only among adolescents with low future orientation . Other emotion-related mediators included rejection sensitivity, which describes anxious expectations of not being accepted or of being overtly rejected.…”

Étude sur des facteurs de médiation entre le rejet maternel et les comportements des enfants

“…Néanmoins, on associe à la maltraitance psychologique des symptômes dépressifs et d'anxiété chez les adolescents (Hamilton et al, 2013). Lorsque la maltraitance psychologique ou la négligence sont plus sévères durant l'enfance, on observe davantage d'agressivité chez les enfants d'âge scolaire, et ce, peu importe les abus concomitants (Manly, Kim, Rogosch et Cicchetti, 2001).…”

“…Plusieurs études, une recension et une récente méta-analyse identifient plus spécifiquement les difficultés des enfants qui se considèrent rejetés par leurs parents : instabilité émotionnelle, difficultés associées au manque d'estime d'euxmêmes, perception négative du monde, hostilité et agressivité qui donnent lieu à des troubles de la conduite, à des comportements externalisés, voire délinquants (Akse, Hale, Engels, Raaijmakers et Meeus, 2004;Chang, Schwartz, Dodge et McBride-Chang, 2003;Khaleque et Rohner, 2012;Rohner et al, 2005a). Ainsi, un nombre croissant d'études sur les effets de la maltraitance psychologique ou de la négligence affective des enfants les associent à des facteurs de risque non spécifiques pour un ensemble de problèmes de comportement et de troubles affectifs (Aust, Hartwig, Heuser et Bajbouj, 2013;Hamilton et al, 2013;Manly et al, 2001). Une étude longitudinale effectuée auprès de 388 adolescents a par ailleurs démontré que l'hostilité parentale telle que mesurée lorsqu'ils étaient en 7 e , 8 e et 9 e année les prédisposait à des problèmes de comportements en 10 e année (Ge et al, 1996), ce qui renforce l'éventualité d'une relation de causalité.…”