Stress-related risk factors for depression in young girls

Abstract

The prevalence of major depression in adolescents is remarkable. Stress has been hypothesised to contribute to the maintenance of depression in young patients. This study aims to elucidate stress-related predictive variables for the maintenance of depression in young girls. A longitudinal design with a time interval of six months was used to assess stress load and depression in 135 15-year-old girls. Stress was measured by the "Fragebogen zur Erhebung von Stress und Stressbewältigung im Kindes- und Jugendalter" and the cortisol awakening response as a biological indicator for hyperactivity of the HPA axis. Depression was quantified by the "Depressionsinventar für Kinder und Jugendliche". The data were analysed by multiple linear regression. When adjusting for initial depression, psychological stress load, physical stress symptoms, and stress vulnerability proved to be predictive for depression, whereas chronic stress neither at the psychological level nor as indicated by the cortisol awakening response had statistically significant effects. The results show the stability of depression in adolescent girls, but also prove an additional influence of acute stress variables.