Locus of Control and Negative Cognitive Styles in Adolescence as Risk Factors for Depression Onset in Young Adulthood: Findings From a Prospective Birth Cohort Study

Abstract

Whilst previous observational studies have linked negative thought processes such as an external locus of control and holding negative cognitive styles with depression, the directionality of these associations and the potential role that these factors play in the transition to adulthood and parenthood has not yet been investigated. This study examined the association between locus of control and negative cognitive styles in adolescence and probable depression in young adulthood and whether parenthood moderated these associations. Using a UK prospective population-based birth cohort study: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), we examined the association between external locus of control and negative cognitive styles in adolescence with odds of depression in 4,301 young adults using logistic regression models unadjusted and adjusted for potential confounding factors. Interaction terms were employed to examine whether parenthood (i.e., having become a parent or not) moderated these associations. Over 20% of young adults in our sample were at or above the clinical threshold indicating probable depression. For each standard deviation (SD) increase in external locus of control in adolescence, there was a 19% (95% CI: 8–32%) higher odds of having probable depression in young adulthood, after adjusting for various confounding factors including baseline mood and different demographic and life events variables. Similarly, for each SD increase in negative cognitive styles in adolescence, there was a 29% (95% CI: 16–44%) higher odds of having probable depression in the adjusted model. We found little evidence that parenthood status moderated the relationship between external locus of control or negative cognitive styles in adolescence and probable depression following adjustment for confounding factors. Effect estimates were comparable when performed in the complete case dataset. These findings suggest that having an external locus of control and holding negative cognitive styles in mid- to late adolescence is associated with an increased likelihood of probable depression in young adulthood.

The Relationship between Internality and Self-development of Psychology Students: the Effect of Optimistic Attributional Style

“…Palenzuela (1984) has pointed out that internal expectancy would be less desirable provided that the real situation does not allow an individual to exert control over a planned outcome. Deng et al (2016) emphasize that while a moderately optimistic explanatory style is adaptive, an exaggerated optimistic explanatory is not. Individuals with highly optimistic explanatory style are more likely than the moderately optimistic to ignore bad outcomes and exaggerates good ones.…”

“…Internality is recognized as one of the following factors: the success of selfdevelopment in the context of subjectivity (Kuzikova, 2015), the formation of the psychologist's personality (Vare, 2017), their readiness for professional activity (Rekesheva, 2007), using self-improvement aimed strategies for overcoming difficult life situations (Shakhov, 2016). In students' daily lives, internality may be a particularly important resource of solving various educational and job problems (Costantini et al, 2021). Therefore, internality might be called the core of the young person's sense of responsibility as the basis for making personal and professional choices (Łubianka, Filipiak, & Mariańczyk, 2020).…”

An analysis of risk factors and current status of depressive mood in mid-to-late adolescence and early adulthood in northern China

“…Different response patterns distinguish subgroups of people who are susceptible to specific types of emotional symptoms ( 26 ). These findings suggest that having an external locus of control and holding negative cognitive styles in mid- to late-adolescence are associated with an increased likelihood of probable depression in young adulthood ( 27 ). These studies show that behavioral responses to stress, including coping styles, are important aspects that should be paid attention to, as coping styles have an important impact on emotional state, which is consistent with the results of this study.…”

Glycoprotein Acetyls and Depression: testing for directionality and potential causality using longitudinal data and Mendelian randomization analyses

“…(48) A description of how the variable was created and why it was used is provided in the supplement. Given that the SMFQ demonstrates good discriminatory abilities for identification of depression as measured by the CIS-R (49) and the limited statistical power of the CIS-R binary measure, the SMFQ score was used as a primary outcome.…”