Negative Cognition, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, Negative Life Events and Depressive Symptoms among Adolescents in Oman

Abstract

Knowledge on Omani adolescents’ vulnerability to depression is very limited. The current study examines the associations between Omani adolescents’ depressive symptoms (DS) and three central constructs: negative cognition (NC), as reflected by the individual’s view of self (VoS), view of the world (VoW) and view of the future (VoF), emotional and behavioral difficulties (EBDs), and negative life events (NLE). The Symptom Check List (SCL-90R), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Cognitive Triad Inventory for Children (CTI-C), and Negative Life Events Checklist (NLEC) were administered to a sample of 486 students aged between 13 and 16 from high schools in the southern region of Oman. A path analysis tested the effects of NC, EBDs, and NLE on Omani adolescents’ DS. Findings revealed that EBDs and NLE have direct effects on Omani adolescents’ DS. Similarly, the hypothesis that NC has direct effects on DS was partially supported. Our hypothesis, that EBDs and NLE may confer vulnerability to DS among Omani adolescents through NC, received partial support. The cognitive vulnerability hypothesis of depression is partially supported in an Arab sample. It could be argued that the hypothesis is culturally bound.