The role of interpersonal sensitivity in the relation between romantic stress and depression was examined in 55 adolescent girls from an inner-city high school. Depression, interpersonal sensitivity, and chronic and episodic romantic stress were measured at two time points, 6 months apart. Interpersonal sensitivity was found to moderate the longitudinal relation between romantic stress (both chronic and episodic) and depression. In contrast, interpersonal sensitivity did not potentiate depressive responses to non-romantic interpersonal stress, suggesting particular importance of stress in the romantic domain for adolescent girls. Results indicate that girls' sensitivities to romantic relationship stress should be specifically addressed in depression prevention and intervention programs.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Aiken, L. S., and West, S. G. (1991). Multiple Regression: Testing and Interpreting Interactions. Sage Publications, Newbury Park, CA.
Ayudek, O., Downey, G., and Kim, M. (2001). Rejection sensitivity and depressive symptoms in women. Pers. Soc. Psychol. Bull. 27: 868–877.
Boyce, P., Hickie, I., and Parker, G. (1991). Parents, partners, or personality? Risk-factors for post-natal depression. J. Affect. Disord. 21: 245–255.
Boyce, P., and Mason, C. (1996). An overview of depression-prone personality traits and the role of interpersonal sensitivity. Aust. N.Z. J. Psychiatr. 30: 90–103.
Boyce, P., Harris, M., Silove, D., Morgan, A., Wilhelm, K., and Hadzi-Pavlovic, D. (1998). Psychosocial factors associated with depression: a study of socially disadvantaged women with young children. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. 186: 3–11.
Boyce, P., and Parker, G. (1989). Development of a scale to measure interpersonal sensitivity. Aust. N.Z. J. Psychiatr. 23: 341–351.
Boyce, P., Parker, G., Barnett, B., Cooney, M., and Smith, F. (1991). Personality as a vulnerability factor to depression. Br. J. Psychiatr. 159: 106–114.
Brown, G. W., and Harris, T. (1978). Social Origins of Depression: A Study of Psychiatric Disorders in Women. Free Press, New York, NY.
Carver, K., Joyner, K., and Udry, R. J. (2003). National estimates of adolescent romantic relationships. In Florsheim, P. (ed.), Adolescent Romantic Relations and Sexual Behavior: Theory, Research, and Practical Implications. Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ, pp. 23–56.
Collins, W. A. (2003). More than Myth: The Developmental Significance of Romantic Relationships During Adolescence. J. Res. Adolesc. 13: 1–24.
Coyne, J. C. (1976). Depression and the response of others. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 85: 186–193.
Cyranowski, J. M., Frank, E., Young, E., and Shear, M. K. (2000). Adolescent onset of the gender difference in lifetime rates of major depression. Arch. Gen. Psychiatr. 57: 21–27.
Daley, S. E., Hammen, C., Davila, J., and Burge, D. (1998). Axis II symptomatology, depression, and life stress during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 66: 595–603.
Davila, J. (2001). Paths to unhappiness: The overlapping courses of depression and romantic dysfunction. In Beach, S. R. H. (ed.), Marital and Family Processes in Depression: A Scientific Foundation for Clinical Practice APA, Washington, DC, pp. 71–87.
Downey, G., and Feldman, S. I. (1996).Implications of rejection sensitivity for intimate relationships. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 70: 1327–1343.
Downey, G., Lebolt, A., Rincon, C., and Freitas, A. L. (1998). Rejection sensitivity and children's interpersonal difficulties. Child Dev. 69: 1072–1089.
Eng, W., Heimberg, R. G., Hart, T. A., Schneier, F. R., and Liebowitz, M. R. (2001). Attachment in individuals with social anxiety disorder: The relationship among adult attachment styles, social anxiety, and depression. Emotion 1: 365–380.
Enns, M. W., and Cox, B. J. (1997). Personality dimensions and depression: review and commentary. Can. J. Psychiatr. 42: 274–284.
First, M. B., Spitzer, R. L., Gibbon, M., and Williams, J. B. W. (1997). User's Guide for the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders—Clinician Version (SCID-CV). American Psychiatric Press, Washington, DC.
Franko, D. L., Striegel-Moore, R. H., Brown, K. M., Barton, B. A., McMahon, R. P., Schreiber, G. B., et al. (2004). Expanding our understanding of the relationship between negative life events and depressive symptoms in black and white adolescent girls. Psychol. Med. 34: 1319–1330.
Furman, W. and Wehner, E. A. (1997). Adolescent romantic relationships: A developmental perspective. In Shulman, S., and Collins, W. A. (eds.), New directions for child development: Adolescent romantic relationships. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA, pp. 21–36.
Goodman, E. (1999). The role of socioeconomic status gradients in explaining differences in US adolescents’ health. Am. J. Public Health. 89: 1522–1528.
Gore, S., Aseltine, R. H., and Colten, M. E. (1993). Gender, social-relational involvement, and depression. J. Res. Adolesc. 3: 101–125.
Hammen, C. (1991). The generation of stress in the course of unipolar depression. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 100: 555–561.
Hammen, C., Adrian, C., Gordon, D., Burge, D., Jaenicke, C., and Hiroto, D. (1987). Children of depressed mothers: Maternal strain and symptom predictors of dysfunction. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 96: 190–198.
Hammen, C., Ellicott, A., Gitlin, M., and Jamison, K. R. (1989). Sociotropy/autonomy and vulnerability to specific life events in patients with unipolar depression and bipolar disorders. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 98: 154–160.
Hankin, B. L., and Abramson, L. Y. (2001). Development of gender differences in depression: An elaborated cognitive vulnerability-transactional stress theory. Psychol. Bull. 127: 773–796.
Harkness, K. L., Frank, E., Anderson, B., Houck, P. R., Luther, J., and Kupfer, D. J. (2002). Does interpersonal psychotherapy protect women from depression in the face of stressful life events? J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 70: 908–915.
Hien, D., Matzner, J. J., First, M. B., Spitzer, R. L., Gibbon, M., and Williams, J. B. W. (1999). Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV—Child Edition (KID-SCID version 1.0). Columbia University, New York, NY.
Hollingshead, A. B. (1975). Four-Factor Index of Social Status. New Haven, CT: Yale University.
Hovey, J. D., and King, C. A. (1996). Acculturative stress, depression, and suicidal ideation among immigrant and second-generation Latino adolescents. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. 35: 1183–1192.
Johnson, P. D., and Kliewer, W. (1999). Family and contextual predictors of depressive symptoms in inner-city African American youth. J. Child Fam. Stud. 8: 181–192.
Joiner, T., and Metalsky, G. I. (2001). Excessive reassurance seeking: Delineating a risk factor involved in the development of depressive symptoms. Psychol. Sci. 12: 371–378.
Joyner, K., and Udry, J. R. (2000). You don't bring me anything but down: Adolescent romance and depression. J. Health Soc. Behav. 41: 369–391.
Kendler, K. S., Kessler, R. C., Walters, E. E., MacLean, C., Neale M. C., Heath A. C., et al. (1995). Stressful life events, genetic liability, and onset of an episode of major depression in women. Am. J. Psychiatr. 152: 833–842.
Kendler, K. S., Thornton, L. M., and Prescott, C. A. (2001). Gender differences in the rates of exposure to stressful life events and sensitivity to their depressogenic effects. Am. J. Psychiatry 158: 587–593.
Kessler, R. C., Avenevoli, S., and Merikangas, K. R. (2001). Mood disorders in children and adolescents: an epidemiologic perspective. Biol. Psychiatry 49: 1002–1014.
Kessler, R. C., and McLeod, J. D. (1984). Sex differences in vulnerability to undesirable life events. Am. Sociol. Rev. 49: 620–631.
Kuperminc, G. P., Blatt, S. J., Shahar, G., Henrich, C., and Leadbeater, B. J. (2004). Cultural equivalence and cultural variance in longitudinal associations of young adolescent self-definition and interpersonal relatedness to psychological and school adjustment. J. Youth Adolesc. 33: 13–30.
Laursen, B., and Jensen-Campbell, L. A. (1999). The nature and functions of social exchange in adolescent romantic relationships. In Furman, W., and Brown, B. B. (eds.), The Development of Romantic Relationships in Adolescence. Cambridge Studies in Social and Emotional Development. Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, pp. 50–74.
Laursen, B., and Williams, V. A. (1997). Perceptions of interdependence and closeness in family and peer relationships among adolescents with and without romantic partners. In Shulman, S., and Collins, W. A. (eds.), Romantic Relationships in Adolescence: Developmental Perspectives. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA, pp. 3–20.
La Greca, A. M., and Harrison, H. M. (2005). Adolescent peer relations, friendships, and romantic relationships: Do they predict social anxiety and depression? J. Clin. Child Adolesc. Psychol. 34: 49–61.
Maccoby, E. E., and Jacklin, C. N. (1974). The Psychology of Sex Differences. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA.
Matzner, F., Silva, R., Silvan, M., Chowdhury, M., and Nastasi, L. (1997). Preliminary test-retest reliability of the KID-SCID. Paper presented at the 150th annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, San Diego, California.
McGonagle, K. A., and Kessler, R. C. (1990). Chronic stress, acute stress, and depressive symptoms. Am. J. Community Psychol. 18: 681–706.
Mearns, J. (1991). Coping with a breakup: Negative mood regulation expectancies and depression following the end of a romantic relationship. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 60: 327–334.
Monroe, S. M., Rohde, P., Seeley, J. R., and Lewinsohn, P. M. (1999). Life events and depression in adolescence: Relationship loss as a prospective risk factor for first onset of major depressive disorder. J. Abnorm. Psycho. 108: 606–614.
Moran, P. B., and Eckenrode, J. (1991). Gender differences in the costs and benefits of peer relationships during adolescence. J. Adolesc. Res. 6: 396–409.
Mufson, L., Dorta, K. P., Wickramaratne, P., Nomura, Y., Olfson, M., and Weissman, M. M. (2004). A randomized effectiveness trial of interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents. Arch. Gen. Psychiatr. 61: 577–584.
Plant, E. A., and Sachs-Ericsson, N. (2004). Racial and ethnic differences in depression: The roles of social support and meeting basic needs. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 72: 41–52.
Purdie, V., and Downey, G. (2000). Rejection sensitivity and adolescent girls’ vulnerability to relationship-centered difficulties. Child Maltreat. 5: 338–349.
Rao, U., Hammen, C., and Daley, S. E. (1999). Continuity of depression in the transition to adulthood: A five-year longitudinal study of young women. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. 38: 908–915.
Roberts, R. E., Roberts, C. R., and Chen, R. Y. (1997). Ethnocultural differences in prevalence of adolescent depression. Am. J. Commun. Psychol. 2: 95–110.
Rudolph, K. D. (2002). Gender differences in emotional responses to interpersonal stress during adolescence. J. Adolesc. Health 30 (Suppl. 4): 3–13.
Rudolph, K. D., Hammen, C., Burge, D., Lindberg, N., Herzberg, D., and Daley, S. E. (2000). Toward an interpersonal life-stress model of depression: The developmental context of stress generation. Dev. Psychopathol. 12: 215–234.
Rudolph, K. D., Hammen, C., and Daley, S. E. (2006). Adolescent mood disorders. In Mash, E. J., and Wolfe, D. A. (eds.), Behavioral and Emotional Disorders in Adolescence: Nature, Assessment, and Treatment. Guilford, New York, pp. 300–342.
Rushton, J. L., Forcier, M., and Schectman, R. M. (2002). Epidemiology of depressive symptoms in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatr. 41, 199–205.
Sagrestano, L. M., Paikoff, R. L., Holmbeck, G. N., and Fendrich, M. (2003). A longitudinal examination of familial risk factors for depression among inner-city African American adolescents. J. Fam. Psychol. 17: 108–120.
Sakado, K., Sato, T., Uehara, T., Sakado, M., Kuwabara, H., and Someya, T. (1999). The association between the high interpersonal sensitivity type of personality and a lifetime history of depression in a sample of employed Japanese adults. Psychol. Med. 29: 1243–1248.
Silva, R. R., Alpert, M., Munoz, D. M., Singh, S., Matzner, F., and Dummit, S. (2000). Stress and vulnerability to posttraumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents. Am. J. Psychiatr. 57: 1229–1235.
Smith, B. W., and Zautra, A. J. (2001). Interpersonal sensitivity and reactivity to spousal conflict in healthy older women. Pers. Individ. Diff. 31: 915–923.
Timbremont, B., Braet, C., and Dressen, L. (2004). Assessing depression in youth: Relation between the Children's Depression Inventory and a structured interview. J. Clin. Child Adolesc. Psychol. 33: 149–157.
Twenge, J. M., and Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2002). Age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, and birth cohort difference on the children's depression inventory: A meta-analysis. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 111: 578–588.
Wagner, B. M., and Compas, B. E. (1990). Gender, instrumentality, and expressivity: Moderators of the relation between stress and psychological symptoms during adolescence. Am. J. Commun.y Psychol. 18: 383–406.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was supported by a Zumberge Individual Research Grant and a Wallis Annenberg Fellowship. We gratefully acknowledge Edward Robillard, George Sanchez, and the high school staff for their invaluable assistance and cooperation with data collection. We also thank the students for their participation, Joanne Davila, David Schwartz, and Christianne Esposito-Smythers for helpful comments on the manuscript, and Alison Klein and Tanya Juarez for research assistance.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Received her PhD from the University of Southern California. Research interests include the influence of romantic relationship factors, such as romantic stress and dating violence, on the development of depression during adolescence.
Received her PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles. Research interests include the interplay between adolescent depression, personality disorder symptoms, and interpersonal variables including adjustment in friendships and romantic relationships.
Research interests include cognitive and interpersonal factors in adolescent depression.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rizzo, C.J., Daley, S.E. & Gunderson, B.H. Interpersonal Sensitivity, Romantic Stress, and the Prediction of Depression: A Study of Inner-City, Minority Adolescent Girls. J Youth Adolescence 35, 444–453 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-006-9047-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-006-9047-4