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Child Psychiatry Hum Dev (2015) 46:194208
DOI 10.1007/s10578-013-0416-4
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Depressogenic Thinking and Shame Proneness in the Development of Internalizing Problems
Rosemary S. L. Mills Paul D. Hastings
Lisa A. Serbin Dale M. Stack John R. Z. Abela
Kimberley A. Arbeau Debra I. K. Lall
Published online: 7 November 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013
Abstract This study examined depressogenic thinking and shame proneness as factors in the development of internalizing problems in a longitudinal sample of 174 children (99 boys, 75 girls). At 7.69.4 years of age (Time 1), mothers assessed general internalizing problems in their children and depressogenic thinking, shame proneness, and anxiety were assessed by child self report. At 10.211.8 years of age (Time 2), mothers reassessed internalizing problems, and children reported their anxiety and depression. At12.313.1 years of age (Time 3), children who had been high on any Time 2 measure of internalizing problems were selected for assessment of anxiety and depressive disorders. Depressogenic thinking and shame were signicantly correlated and predicted subsequent problems. Depressogenic
thinking predicted internalizing problems and anxious and depressive symptoms. Shame directly predicted boys depressive symptoms, and indirectly predicted boys general internalizing problems and girls social anxiety. Depressive disorders in early adolescence were predicted specically by shame. Findings suggest that both shame and depressive thinking contribute to the development of childrens internalizing problems.
Keywords Childrens internalizing problems
Depression Anxiety Depressogenic thinking
Shame proneness
Introduction
Internalizing problems are the most common form of maladjustment in children and youth, affecting 1418 % of young people [1]. These problems are social and emotional difculties characterized by overcontrolled behavior and inner-directed symptoms comprised of anxiety, depressed mood, and negative self-beliefs. They emerge early in childhood, are relatively stable across the school years, and often increase and evolve into anxiety disorders and/or depression during adolescence [24], with anxiety often preceding and predicting subsequent depression [2, 5]. Researchers and clinicians have emphasized the need for more investigation of how internalizing problems develop, worsen, and evolve into specic disorders [68]. Cognitive and emotional vulnerabilities have been posited as key mechanisms in the worsening of symptoms and, eventually, emergence of diagnosable disorders. In the present study, we sought to determine whether negative self-beliefs and emotions would predict worsening internalizing problems
R. S. L. Mills...