Premium
A longitudinal test of the attributional vulnerability model in children at risk for depression
Author(s) -
Hammen Constance,
Adrian Cheri,
Hiroto Donald
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
british journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.479
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8260
pISSN - 0144-6657
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1988.tb00751.x
Subject(s) - attribution , psychology , depression (economics) , multilevel model , vulnerability (computing) , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , longitudinal study , medicine , social psychology , computer security , machine learning , computer science , economics , macroeconomics , pathology
The attributional vulnerability model of depression has rarely been tested in prospective designs, or as an interaction of stressful events and cognitions, or with depression as a specific response outcome. Moreover, the model has rarely been applied to children. All these issues were addressed in this study of prediction of diagnoses during a six‐month follow‐up for a sample of children that included offspring of women with affective disorders presumed to be at high risk for depression. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses failed to support the attributional hypotheses: depression was best predicted by initial symptoms and by life stress but not by attributions for negative outcomes or the interaction of attributions and life‐events. Non‐affective diagnoses, on the other hand, were predicted by an interaction of life‐events and attributions. The results suggest limitations in the range of application of the attributional model in clinical samples, at least with children and adolescents at risk.