Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Development of Future Orientation is Associated with Faster Decline in Hopelessness during Adolescence

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

Abstract

Hopelessness is implicated in multiple psychological disorders. Little is known, however, about the trajectory of hopelessness during adolescence or how emergent future orientation may influence its trajectory. Parallel process latent growth curve modelling tested whether (i) trajectories of future orientation and hopelessness and (ii) within-individual change in future orientation and hopelessness were related. The study was comprised of 472 adolescents [52% female, 47% Caucasian, 47% received free lunch] recruited at ages 12–13 who completed measures of future orientation and hopelessness at five annual assessments. The results indicate that a general decline in hopelessness across adolescence occurs quicker for those experiencing faster development of future orientation, when controlling for age, sex, low socio-economic status in addition to stressful life events in childhood and adolescence. Stressful childhood life events were associated with worse future orientation at baseline and negative life events experienced during adolescence were associated with both an increase in the trajectory of hopelessness as well as a decrease in the trajectory of future orientation. This study provides compelling evidence that the development of future orientation during adolescence is associated with a faster decline in hopelessness.

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

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abela, J. R., Parkinson, C., Stolow, D., & Starrs, C. (2009). A test of the integration of the hopelessness and response styles theories of depression in middle adolescence. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 38(3), 354–364. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374410902851630.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abramson, L. Y., Metalsky, G. I., & Alloy, L. B. (1989). Hopelessness depression: A theory-based subtype of depression. Psychological Review, 96, 358–372. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295x.96.2.358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Adelabu, D. H. (2008). Future time perspective, hope, and ethnic identity among African American adolescents. Urban Education, 43(3), 347–360. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085907311806.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Afifi, W. A., Afifi, T. D., Robbins, S., & Nimah, N. (2013). The relative impacts of uncertainty and mothers’ communication on hopelessness among Palestinian refugee youth. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 83(4), 495–504. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajop.12051.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Alloy, L. B., & Abramson, L. Y. (2007). The adolescent surge in depression and emergence of gender differences: A biocognitive vulnerability—stress model in developmental context. In E. Walker & D. Romer (Eds.), Adolescent psychopathology and the developing brain. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ayub, N. (2009). Measuring hopelessness and life orientation in Pakistani adolescents. Crisis, 30(3), 153–160. https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910.30.3.153.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., Brown, G., Berchick, R. J., Stewart, B. L., & Steer, R. A. (1990). Relationship between hopelessness and ultimate suicide: a replication with psychiatric outpatients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147(2), 190–195. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.147.2.190.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., Weissman, A., Lester, D., & Trexler, L. (1974). The measurement of pessimism: the hopelessness scale. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42(6), 861–865. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0037562.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Becker-Weidman, E. G., Reinecke, M. A., Jacobs, R. H., Martinovich, Z., Silva, S. G., & March, J. S. (2009). Predictors of hopelessness among clinically depressed youth. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 37(03), 267–291. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465809005207.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Birnbaum, A. S., Lytle, L. A., Hannan, P. J., Murray, D. M., Perry, C. L., & Forster, J. L. (2003). School functioning and violent behavior among young adolescents: a contextual analysis. Health Education Research, 18(3), 389–403. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyf036.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bolland, J. M. (2003). Hopelessness and risk behaviour among adolescents living in high-poverty inner-city neighbourhoods. Journal of Adolescence, 26(2), 145–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-1971(02)00136-7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bolland, J. M., McCallum, D. M., Lian, B., Bailey, C. J., & Rowan, P. (2001). Hopelessness and violence among inner-city youths. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 5(4), 237–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryan, C. J., Ray-Sannerud, B. N., Morrow, C. E., & Etienne, N. (2013). Optimism reduces suicidal ideation and weakens the effect of hopelessness among military personnel. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 37(5), 996–1003. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-013-9536-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, F. F. (2007). Sensitivity of goodness of fit indexes to lack of measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 14(3), 464–504. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705510701301834.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung, G. W., & Rensvold, R. B. (2002). Evaluating goodness-of-fit indexes for testing measurement invariance. Structural Equation Modeling, 9(2), 233–255. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15328007SEM0902_5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chin, J., & Holden, R. R. (2013). Multidimensional future time perspective as moderators of the relationships between suicide motivation, preparation, and its predictors. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 43(4), 395–405. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12025.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chioqueta, A. P., & Stiles, T. C. (2007). The relationship between psychological buffers, hopelessness, and suicidal ideation: identification of protective factors. Crisis, 28(2), 67–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Compas, B. E. (1987). Coping with stress during childhood and adolescence. Psychological Bulletin, 101(3), 393.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Compas, B. E., Connor-Smith, J. K., Saltzman, H., Thomsen, A. H., & Wadsworth, M. E. (2001). Coping with stress during childhood and adolescence: problems, progress, and potential in theory and research. Psychological Bulletin, 127(1), 87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Courtney, E. A., Johnson, J. G., & Alloy, L. B. (2008). Associations of childhood maltreatment with hopelessness and depression among adolescent primary care patients. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 1(1), 4–17. https://doi.org/10.1680/ijct.2008.1.1.4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crossfield, A. G., Alloy, L. B., Gibb, B. E., & Abramson, L. Y. (2002). The development of depressogenic cognitive styles: The role of negative childhood life events and parental inferential feedback. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 16(4), 487–502.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daniel, S. S., & Goldston, D. B. (2012). Hopelessness and lack of connectedness to others as risk factors for suicidal behavior across the lifespan: Implications for cognitive-behavioral treatment. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 19(2), 288–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davey, C. G., Yücel, M., & Allen, N. B. (2008). The emergence of depression in adolescence: Development of the prefrontal cortex and the representation of reward. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 32(1), 1–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dixon, W. A., Heppner, P. P., & Anderson, W. P. (1991). Problem-solving appraisal, stress, hopelessness, and suicide ideation in a college population. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 38(1), 51–56. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-0167.38.1.51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drummond, H., Bolland, J. M., & Harris, W. A. (2011). Becoming violent: evaluating the mediating effect of hopelessness on the code of the street thesis. Deviant Behavior, 32(3), 191–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639621003748746.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fedorowicz, A. R., Hellerstedt, W. L., Schreiner, P. J., & Bolland, J. M. (2014). Associations of adolescent hopelessness and self-worth with pregnancy attempts and pregnancy desire. American Journal of Public Health, 104(8), 133–140. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2014.301914.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibb, B. E., & Abela, J. R. (2008). Emotional abuse, verbal victimization, and the development of children’s negative inferential styles and depressive symptoms. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 32(2), 161–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gillespie, J. M., & Allport, G. W. (1955). Youth’s outlook on the future: a cross-national study. New York, NY: Doubleday & Company.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Grano, N., Karjalainen, M., Edlund, V., Saari, E., Itkonen, A., & Anto, J., et al. (2014). Changes in depression, anxiety and hopelessness symptoms during family- and community-oriented intervention for help-seeking adolescents and adolescents at risk of psychosis. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 68(2), 93–99. https://doi.org/10.3109/08039488.2013.768294.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, J. L., Connolly, S. L., Liu, R. T., Stange, J. P., Abramson, L. Y., & Alloy, L. B. (2015). It gets better: Future orientation buffers the development of hopelessness and depressive symptoms following emotional victimization during early adolescence. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 43(3), 465–474.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han, X. Y., & Shek, D. T. (2012). Socio-demographic and family correlates of hopelessness among adolescents in Shanghai, China. International Journal on Disability and Human Development, 11(2), 113–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hankin, B. L. (2008). Stability of cognitive vulnerabilities to depression: a short-term prospective multiwave study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 117(2), 324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hankin, B. L., & Abramson, L. Y. (2002). Measuring cognitive vulnerability to depression in adolescence: Reliability, validity, and gender differences. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 31(4), 491–504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hankin, B. L., Abramson, L. Y., Moffitt, T. E., Silva, P. A., McGee, R., & Angell, K. E. (1998). Development of depression from preadolescence to young adulthood: emerging gender differences in a 10-year longitudinal study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 107(1), 128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch, J. K., Duberstein, P. R., Conner, K. R., Heisel, M. J., Beckman, A., & Franus, N., et al. (2007). Future orientation moderates the relationship between functional status and suicide ideation in depressed adults. Depression and Anxiety, 24(3), 196–201. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.20224.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Horwitz, A. G., Berona, J., Czyz, E. K., Yeguez, C. E., & King, C. A. (2017). Positive and negative expectations of hopelessness as longitudinal predictors of depression, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behavior in high-risk adolescents. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 47(2), 168–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ivanova, M. Y., & Israel, A. C. (2005). Family stability as a protective factor against the influences of pessimistic attributional style on depression. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 29(2), 243–251. https://doi.org/10.1007/s1068-005-3167-0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kazdin, A. E., French, N. H., Unis, A. S., Esveldt-Dawson, K., & Sherick, R. B. (1983). Hopelessness, depression, and suicidal intent among psychiatrically disturbed inpatient children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51(4), 504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kazdin, A. E., Rodgers, A., & Colbus, D. (1986). The hopelessness scale for children: psychometric characteristics and concurrent validity. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54(2), 241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kessler, R. C., Berglund, P., Demler, O., Jin, R., Merikangas, K. R., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62(6), 593–602. https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.593.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kliewer, W., Murrelle, L., Mejia, R., Torres de, G. Y., & Angold, A. (2001). Exposure to violence against a family member and internalizing symptoms in Colombian adolescents: the protective effects of family support. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 69(6), 971–982. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.69.6.971.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kolarcik, P., Geckova, A. M., Reijneveld, S. A., & van Dijk, J. P. (2012). Social support, hopelessness and life satisfaction among Roma and non-Roma adolescents in Slovakia. International Journal of Public Health, 57(6), 905–913. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-012-0413-6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kwok, L., Sylvia, Y., & Shek, D. T. (2010). Hopelessness, parent-adolescent communication, and suicidal ideation among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 40(3), 224–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LaFromboise, T. D., Albright, K., & Harris, A. (2010). Patterns of hopelessness among American Indian adolescents: relationships by levels of acculturation and residence. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 16(1), 68–76. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landis, D., Gaylord-Harden, N. K., Malinowski, S. L., Grant, K. E., Carleton, R. A., & Ford, R. E. (2007). Urban adolescent stress and hopelessness. Journal of Adolescence, 30(6), 1051–1070. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2007.02.001.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lester, D. (2015). Hopelessness in adolescents. Journal of Affective Disorders, 173, 221–225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2014.10.048.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li, D. P., Li, X., Wang, Y. H., & Bao, Z. Z. (2016). Parenting and chinese adolescent suicidal ideation and suicide attempts: The mediating role of hopelessness. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(5), 1397–1407. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-015-0334-0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mac Giollabhui, N., Hamilton, J. L., Nielsen, J., Connolly, S. L., Stange, J. P., & Varga, S, et al. (2017a). Negative cognitive style interacts with negative life events to predict first onset of a major depressive episode in adolescence via hopelessness. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mac Giollabhui, N., Olino, T.M., Nielsen, J., Abramson, L.Y., & Alloy, L.B. (2017b). Is worse attention a risk factor for depression, a consequence of depression, or are both better accounted for by stress?: A prospective test of three hypotheses. Invited Resubmission with Clinical Psychological Science

  • Nurmi, J.-E. (1991). How do adolescents see their future? A review of the development of future orientation and planning. Developmental Review, 11(1), 1–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor, R., Connery, H., & Cheyne, W. (2000). Hopelessness: The role of depression, future directed thinking and cognitive vulnerability. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 5(2), 155–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor, R. C., & Cassidy, C. (2007). Predicting hopelessness: The interaction between optimism/pessimism and specific future expectancies. Cognition & Emotion, 21(3), 596–613. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930600813422.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pechtel, P., & Pizzagalli, D. A. (2011). Effects of early life stress on cognitive and affective function: an integrated review of human literature. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 214(1), 55–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-010-2009-2.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pulcu, E., Trotter, P., Thomas, E., McFarquhar, M., Juhász, G., & Sahakian, B., et al. (2014). Temporal discounting in major depressive disorder. Psychological Medicine, 44(9), 1825–1834.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ritschel, L. A., Gillespie, C. F., Arnarson, E. O., & Craigshead, W. E. (2013). Major Depressive Disorder. In W. E. Craigshead, D. J. Miklowitz & L. W. Craighead (Eds.), Psychopathology: History, diagnosis and empirical foundations (pp. 285–333). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robbins, R. N., & Bryan, A. (2004). Relationships between future orientation, impulsive sensation seeking, and risk behavior among adjudicated adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Research, 19(4), 428–445. https://doi.org/10.1177/074355840328860.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez-Naranjo, C., & Cano, A. (2016). Daily stress and coping styles in adolescent hopelessness depression: Moderating effects of gender. Personality and Individual Differences, 97, 109–114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.03.027.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Safford, S. M., Alloy, L. B., Abramson, L. Y., & Crossfield, A. G. (2007). Negative cognitive style as a predictor of negative life events in depression-prone individuals: A test of the stress generation hypothesis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 99(1), 147–154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schermelleh-Engel, K., Moosbrugger, H., & Müller, H. (2003). Evaluating the fit of structural equation models: Tests of significance and descriptive goodness-of-fit measures. Methods of Psychological Research Online, 8(2), 23–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, H. R., Miyake, A., & Hankin, B. L. (2015). Advancing understanding of executive function impairments and psychopathology: Bridging the gap between clinical and cognitive approaches. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 328 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00328.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Spirito, A., Williams, C. A., Stark, L. J., & Hart, K. J. (1988). The Hopelessness scale for children: Psychometric properties with normal and emotionally disturbed adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 16(4), 445–458.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stein, G. L., Gonzalez, L. M., & Huq, N. (2012). Cultural stressors and the hopelessness model of depressive symptoms in Latino adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41(10), 1339–1349. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-012-9765-8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Steinberg, L. (2005). Cognitive and affective development in adolescence. Trends in Cognitive Science, 9(2), 69–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2004.12.005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steinberg, L., Graham, S., O’Brien, L., Woolard, J., Cauffman, E., & Banich, M. (2009). Age differences in future orientation and delay discounting. Child Development, 80(1), 28–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01244.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stoddard, S. A., Henly, S. J., Sieving, R. E., & Bolland, J. (2011). Social connections, trajectories of hopelessness, and serious violence in impoverished urban youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 40(3), 278–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stoddard, S. A., Zimmerman, M. A., & Bauermeister, J. A. (2011). Thinking about the future as a way to succeed in the present: A longitudinal study of future orientation and violent behaviors among African American youth. American Journal of Community Psychology, 48(3-4), 238–246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-010-9383-0.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Trommsdorff, G., & Lamm, H. (1980). Future orientation of institutionalized and noninstitutionalized delinquents and nondelinquents. European Journal of Social Psychology, 10(3), 247–278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors’ Contributions

N.M.G. conceived of the study question, assisted in the analysis data and wrote a considerable proportion of the manuscript. J.N. and T.M.O. played a lead role in advising and executing statistical analyses as well as considerable input into the preparation and revision of the manuscript. S.S. was involved in data preparation and cleaning, literature review and in writing of the manuscript. L.B.A. and L.Y.A. were awarded the R01 grant (MH079369) which was the basis of data analysis; both authors provided considerable input into the formulation of the research question and revision of the manuscript.

Funding

This research was supported by National Institute of Mental Health Grants MH079369 and MH101168 to Lauren B. Alloy.

Data Sharing Declaration

This manuscript’s data will not be deposited.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Temple University, Weiss Hall, 1701 N. 13th St., Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA

    Naoise Mac Giollabhui, Johanna Nielsen, Sam Seidman, Thomas M. Olino & Lauren B. Alloy

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA

    Lyn Y. Abramson

Authors
  1. Naoise Mac Giollabhui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Johanna Nielsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sam Seidman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Thomas M. Olino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Lyn Y. Abramson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lauren B. Alloy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lauren B. Alloy.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

Data collection procedures were approved by Temple University’s Institutional Review Board.

Informed consent

Written, informed consent was obtained from research staff.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mac Giollabhui, N., Nielsen, J., Seidman, S. et al. The Development of Future Orientation is Associated with Faster Decline in Hopelessness during Adolescence. J Youth Adolescence 47, 2129–2142 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-017-0803-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-017-0803-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation