Stability of self-reported depressive symptoms in a community sample of children and adolescents

Abstract

Investigated the course, stability, and correlates of self-reported depressive symptoms in a 2-year longitudinal study of a community sample of school-age children and adolescents (N = 435). At the initial assessment, 10% of the sample was at or above a suggested cutoff score on the Children's Depression Inventory for indicating clinically-significant levels of depressive symptoms. At 2-year follow-up, approximately one third of this group (32%) continued to report levels of depressive symptoms that were in the clinical range according to the same criterion. Youths with stable elevations in depressive symptoms over the 2-year period exhibited a pattern of significantly greater impairment across several areas of functioning including clinically significant levels of anxiety, markedly lower self-esteem, and higher levels of acting-out behavior as rated by teachers. Discussion of the findings addresses the significance of identifying a subgroup of youths who experience chronic symptoms of depression and the ...