Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Depressive symptoms and perceived competence among Chinese secondary school students in Hong Kong

  • Published:
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Depressive symptoms of 621 Grade 7 to Grade 12 secondary school students were assessed and described in terms of dimensions of disturbances in mood, self-image, behavior, hedonic capacity, and self-efficacy using the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI). Using the cutoff score of 20, 24% of the adolescents would be in the depressed range. In a subsample of 319 students who also completed the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents, depressive symptom levels tended to be highest among students who perceived themselves to be relatively incompetent academically and socially, and lowest among students who perceived themselves to be academically and socially competent, supporting the cumulative effects of perceived academic and social incompetence on depressive symptoms. The relatively more elevated CDI scores and subscores among Chinese adolescents compared with US adolescents and the choice of a cutoff score for screening in the Hong Kong school population are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Altman, E., and Gotlib, I. H. (1988). The social behavior of depressed children: An observational study. J. Abnorm. Child Psychol. 16: 29–44.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bentler, P. M. (1990). Comparative fit indexes in structural models. Psychological Bulletin, 147, 238–246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bettes, B. A., and Walker, E. (1986). Symptoms assoicated with suicidal behavior in childhood and adolescence. J. Abnorm. Child Psychol. 4: 591–604.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blechman, E. A, McEnroe, M. J., Carella, E. T., and Audette, D. P. (1986). Childhood competence and depression. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 95: 223–227.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brent, D. A., Perper, J. A., Goldstein, C. E., Kolko, D. J., Allan, M. J., Allman, C. J., and Zelenak, J. P. (1988). Risk factors for adolescent suicide: A comparison of adolescent suicide victims with suicidal inpatients. Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 45: 581–585.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, G. A., and Cantwell, D. P. (1982). Suicidal behavior and depression in children and adolescents. J. Am. Acad. Child Psychiat. 21: 361–368.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chan, D. W. (1991). Depressive symptoms and depressed mood among Chinese medical students in Hong Kong. Comprehen. Psychiat. 32: 170–180.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chan, D. W. (1993). Coping with suicide in secondary schools: Are teachers prepared? Educat. Res. J. 8: 28–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, D. W. (1995). Depressive symptoms and coping strategies among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. J. Youth Adolesc. 24: 267–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan, D. W. (1997). Self-concept domains and global self-worth among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. Personal Indiv. Diff. 22: 511–520.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen-Sandler, R., Berman, A. L., and King, R. A. (1982). Life stress and symptomatology: Determinants of suicide behavior in children. J. Am. Acad. Child Psychiat. 21: 178–186.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cole, D. A. (1990). Relation of social and academic competence to depressive symptoms in childhood. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 99: 422–429.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cytryn, L., and McKnew, D. H. (1974). Factors influencing the changing clinical expression of the depressive process in children. Am. J. Psychiat. 131: 879–881.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Doerfler, L. A., Felner, R. D., Rowlison, R. T., Raley, P. A, and Evans, E. (1988). Depression in children and adolescents: A comparative analysis of the utility and construct validity of two assessment measures. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol., 56: 769–772.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fauber, R., Forehand, R., Long, N., Burke, H., and Faust, J. (1987). The relationship of young adolescent Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) scores to their social and cognitive functioning. J. Psychopathol Behav. Assess. 9: 161–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faust, J., Baum, C. G., and Forehand, R. (1985). An examination of the association between social relationships and depression in early adolescence. J. Appl. Develop. Psychol. 6: 291–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harter, S. (1988). Manual for the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents. University of Denver, Denver.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hau, K. T. (1993). Suicide in Hong Kong 1971–1990: Age trend, sex ratio and method of suicide. Social Psychiat. Psychiat. Epidemiol. 28: 23–27.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hodges, K., and Craighead, W. E. (1990). Reliability of Children’s Depression Inventory factors to diagnosed depression. Psychol Assess. 2: 489–492.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holinger, P. C., and Offer, D. (1981). Perspectives on suicide in adolescents. In Simmons, R. (ed.), Research in Community Mental Health, Vol. 2. JAI Press, Greenwich, CT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, H. C., Hwang, K. K., and Ko, Y. H. (1983). [Life stress, attribution style, social support and depression among university students.] Acta Psychol Taiwan. 25: 31–47. (in Chinese.)

    Google Scholar 

  • Joreskog, K. G., and Sorbom, D. (1993). LISREL 8: A Guide to the Program and Applications. SPSS, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kashani, J. H., McGee, R. O., Clarkson, S. E., Anderson, J. C, Walton, L. A., Williams, S., Silva, P. A., Robins, A J., Cytryn, L., and McKnew, D. H. (1983). Depression in a sample of 9-year-old children. Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 40: 1217–1223.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kashani, J., and Simonds, J. F. (1979). The incidence of depression in children. Am. J. Psychiat. 136: 1203–1205.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kazdin, A. E. (1989). Identifying depression in children: A comparison of alternative selection criteria. J. Abnorm. Child Psychol. 17: 437–454.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kovacs, M. (1980). Rating scales to assess depression in school aged children. Acta Paedopsychiat. 46: 305–315.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kovacs, M. (1992). Children’s Depression Inventory Manual. Multi-Health Systems, North Tonawanda, NY.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lefkowitz, M. M., and Burton, N. (1978). Childhood depression: A critique of the concept. Psychol. Bull. 85: 716–726.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leitenberg, H., Yost, L. W., and Carroll-Wilson, M. (1986). Negative cognitive errors in children: Questionnaire development, normative data, and comparisons between children with and without self-reported symptoms of depression, low self-esteem, and evaluation anxiety. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 54: 528–536.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leon, G. R, Kendall, P. C., and Garber, J. (1980). Depression in children: Parent, teacher, and child perspectives. J. Abnorm. Child Psychol. 8: 221–235.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leung, P. W. L., Salili, and F., Baber, F. M. (1986). Common adolescent problems in Hong Kong: Their relationship with self-esteem, locus of control, intelligence and family environment. Psychologia 24: 91–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lobovits, D. A., and Handal, P. J. (1985). Childhood depression: Prevalence using DSM-III criteria and validity of parent and child depression scales. J. Pediat. Psychol. 10: 45–54.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, W. M., Politano, P. M., Finch, A. J., Wendel, N., and Mayhall, C. (1987). Children’s Depression Inventory: Normative data and utility with emotionally disturbed children. J. Am. Acad. Child Adoles. Psychiat. 26: 43–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfeffer, C. R., Solomon, G., Plutchik, R., Mizruchi, M. S., and Weiner, A. (1982). Suicidal behavior in latency-age psychiatric inpatients: A replication and cross-validation. J. Am. Acad. Child Psychiat. 21: 564–569.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pritchard, C. (1993). A comparison of youth suicide in Hong Kong, the developed world, and the People’s Republic of China 1973–1988: Grounds for optimism or concern? Hong Kong J. Mental Health 22: 6–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Puig-Antich, J., Lukens, E., Davies, M., Goetz, D., Brennan-Quattrock, J., and Todak, G. (1985). Psychosocial functioning in prepubertal major depressive disorders: I. Interpersonal relationships during the depressive episode. Arch. Gen. Psychiat. 42: 500–507.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, W. M. (1984). Depression in children and adolescents: Phenomenology, evaluation and treatment. School Psychol. Rev. 13: 171–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, W. M. (1985). Depression in childhood and adolescence: Diagnosis, assessment, intervention strategies and research. In Kratochwill, T. R. (ed.), Advances in School Psychology (Vol. 4). Lawrence Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, W. M. (1986). A model for the screening and identification of depressed children and adolescents in school settings. Profess. School Psychol. 1: 117–129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seligman, M. E. P., Peterson, C, Kaslow, N. J., Tanenbaum, R. L., Alloy, L. B., and Abramson, L. Y. (1984). Attributional style and depressive symptoms among children. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 93: 235–238.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Siegel, L. J. (1986). The Children’s Depression Inventory. In Keyser, D. J., and Sweetland, R. C. (eds.), Test Critiques (Vol. 5). Test Corporation of America, Kansas City.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slotkin, J., Forehand, R., Fauber, R., McCombs, A., and Long, N. (1988). Parent-completed and adolescent-completed CDI: Relationship to adolescent social and cognitive functioning. J. Abnorm. Child Psychol. 16: 207–217.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smucker, M, R., Craighead, W. E., Craighead, I. W., and Green, B. J. (1986). Normative and reliability data for the Children’s Depression Inventory. J. Abnorm. Child Psychol. 14: 25–39.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Strauss, C, Forehand, R., Frame, C., and Smith, K. (1984). Characteristics of children with extreme scores on the Children’s Depression Inventory. J. Clin. Child Psychol. 13: 227–231.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, W., and Engin, A. (1986). Adolescent depression: Its prevalence in high school students. J. School Psychol. 24: 103–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tesiny, E. P., Lefkowitz, M. M., and Gordon, N. H. (1980). Childhood depression, locus of control, and school achievement. J. Educat. Psychol. 72: 506–510.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, B., Weisz, J. R., Politano, M., Carey, M., Nelson, W. M., and Finch, A. J. (1991). Developmental differences in the factor structure of the Children’s Depression Inventory. Psychol. Assess. 3: 38–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Worchel, F., Nolan, B., and Willson, V. (1987). New perspectives on child and adolescent depression. J. School Psychol. 25: 411–414.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yip, P., and Yu, A. (1993). Teenage suicide in Hong Kong 1981–1992: Age trend, time and geographical distribution. Educat. Res. J. 8: 32–39.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Psychology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

    David W. Chan (Professor)

Authors
  1. David W. Chan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This study was supported in part by a Chinese University of Hong Kong RGC direct grant for research.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chan, D.W. Depressive symptoms and perceived competence among Chinese secondary school students in Hong Kong. J Youth Adolescence 26, 303–319 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-005-0004-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-005-0004-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation