Personality Predispositions in Chinese Adolescents: The Relation Between Self-Criticism, Dependency, and Prospective Internalizing Symptoms

Abstract

The present study examined the prospective relation between two personality predispositions, self-criticism and dependency, and internalizing symptoms. Specifically, it was examined whether self-criticism and dependency predicted symptoms of depression and social anxiety, and if a moderation (e.g. diathesis-stress) or mediation model best explained the relation between the personality predispositions and emotional distress in Chinese adolescents. Participants included 1,150 adolescents (597 females and 553 males) from mainland China. Participants completed self-report measures of self-criticism, dependency, and neuroticism at baseline, and self-report measures of negative events, depressive symptoms, and social anxiety symptoms once a month for six months. Findings showed that self-criticism predicted depressive symptoms, while dependency predicted social anxiety symptoms. In addition, support was found for a mediation model, as opposed to a moderation model, with achievement stressors mediating the relation between self-criticism and depressive symptoms. Overall, these findings highlight new developmental pathways for the development of depression and social anxiety symptoms in mainland Chinese adolescents. Implications for cross-cultural developmental psychopathology research are discussed.

The Development of Self-Criticism and Dependency in Early Adolescence and Their Role in the Development of Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms

“…The finding of moderate stability in personality traits during adolescence is also consistent with the broader personality literature (e.g., Roberts & DelVecchio, 2000; Roberts et al., 2001). Although not the purpose of this article, results were also consistent with prior research examining the relationship between self-criticism, dependency, and negative events (e.g., Cohen et al., 2013; Mongrain & Zuroff, 1994; Starrs et al., 2010) in that baseline self-criticism and dependency were associated with elevated levels of both relatedness and self-definitional events, although dependency was more strongly associated with relatedness events than with self-definitional events.…”

“…Relatively few studies have examined the relationships between self-criticism, dependency, and internalizing symptoms in adolescents. In the few studies to examine these issues, self-criticism was found to be both cross-sectionally (Blatt, Schaffer, Bers, & Quinlan, 1992; Fichman et al., 1994) and longitudinally associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms in adolescent samples (Abela, McIntyre-Smith, & Dechef, 2003; Abela & Taylor, 2003; Cohen et al., 2013). Whereas dependency generally predicts depressive symptoms in older adolescents and adults (Blatt et al., 1992; Blatt & Zuroff, 1992; Fichman et al., 1994; Luthar & Blatt, 1995), it does not generally predict depressive symptoms in younger samples (Fichman, Koestner, & Zuroff, 1996), although some contradictory evidence exists (e.g., Abela et al., 2012).…”

“…Similarly, dependency and self-criticism are both associated with negative affect, whereas only self-criticism is inversely associated with positive affect (e.g., Kopala-Sibley & Santor, 2009; Mongrain & Zuroff, 1994). A recent study found that, in a sample of Chinese adolescents, whereas self-criticism predicted depressive symptoms, dependency predicted social anxiety symptoms (Cohen et al., 2013). It is therefore possible that dependency may predict anxiety symptoms in early adolescents rather than depressive symptoms.…”

Self-criticism and self-esteem in early adolescence: Do they predict depression?

“…In support of the vulnerability model Auerbach, Ho [ 33 ] examined a sample of 157 adolescents (mean age = 13.99 years), with five data collections over six months, finding that self-criticism predicted depressive symptoms. In a sample of 1,150 adolescents (mean age = 16.26), Cohen, Young [ 34 ] found that self-criticism predicted depressive symptoms over a six-month period, with measurements taken monthly, although the effect size was small (β = .06, p < .01).…”

Anxiety comorbidity in bipolar spectrum disorders: The mediational role of perfectionism in prospective depressive symptoms

“…Interestingly, these findings also have been replicated with symptoms of anxiety. Cohen et al (2013) found that self-criticism predicted depressive symptoms, whereas dependency predicted social anxiety symptoms. Moreover, Alloy et al (2009a) found that self-criticism is higher in individuals with BSD than healthy controls and that higher self-criticism also predicts onsets of hypomanic/manic episodes in BSD individuals.…”