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Depressive symptoms in adolescents as a function of personality factors

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Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between the personality factors of sociotropy and autonomy and depressive symptomatology in a nonclinical sample of adolescents. One hundred and thirty-six adolescents (60 males, 76 females), ranging in age from 15 to 17 years and enrolled in a high school of the Western Quebec Regional School Board, completed the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory. Subjects with high sociotropy showed significantly more depressive symptoms than subjects with low sociotropy. With regard to autonomy, high autonomous females scored higher on the Beck Depression Inventory than high autonomous males. Results are discussed in light of the literature on adolescent depression.

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This is an extended version of a poster presented at the 12th annual convention of the Quebec Society for Research in Psychology (SQRP), Ottawa, October 1989. The authors wish to thank Mr. Michael Donlan for his cooperation.

Received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from University of Ottawa. Major research interest is adolescent depression. To whom reprint requests should be addressed.

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Baron, P., Peixoto, N. Depressive symptoms in adolescents as a function of personality factors. J Youth Adolescence 20, 493–500 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01540633

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01540633

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