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The Role of Goal Representations, Cultural Identity, and Dispositional Optimism in the Depressive Experiences of American Indian Youth from a Northern Plains Tribe

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Abstract

American Indian researchers and scholars have emphasized the importance of identifying variables that promote resilience and protect against the development of psychopathology in American Indian youth. The present study examined the role of self-regulation, specifically goal characteristics (i.e., goal self-efficacy, goal specificity, intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation, and goal conflict) and dispositional optimism, as well as cultural identity and self-reported academic grades in the depressive experiences of American Indian youth from a North American plains tribe. One hundred and sixty-four participants (53 % female) completed measures of goal representations, cultural identity, dispositional optimism, academic performance, and depressive symptoms. Results supported a model in which higher goal self-efficacy, American Indian cultural identity, grade point average, and dispositional optimism each significantly predicted fewer depressive symptoms. Moreover, grade point average and goal self-efficacy had both direct and indirect (through dispositional optimism) relationships with depressive symptoms. Our findings underscore the importance of cognitive self-regulatory processes and cultural identity in the depressive experiences for these American Indian youth and may have implications for youth interventions attempting to increase resiliency and decrease risk for depressive symptoms.

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Author contributions

J.T. assisted in the conception of the study, participated in its design and coordination, the analysis of the data and in drafting the manuscript; W.S. assisted in the conception of the study, participated in its design and coordination, the analysis of the data, and in drafting the manuscript; T.R. participated in the analytic approach to examining the data and assisted in drafting the manuscript. S.M. participated in the analytic approach to examining the data and assisted in drafting the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA

    Jason Tyser, Walter D. Scott & Sean M. McCrea

  2. Division of Kinesiology and Health, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA

    Tucker Readdy

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  1. Jason Tyser
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  2. Walter D. Scott
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  3. Tucker Readdy
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  4. Sean M. McCrea
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Correspondence to Walter D. Scott.

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Tyser, J., Scott, W.D., Readdy, T. et al. The Role of Goal Representations, Cultural Identity, and Dispositional Optimism in the Depressive Experiences of American Indian Youth from a Northern Plains Tribe. J Youth Adolescence 43, 329–342 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-013-0042-2

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