Cognitive correlates of peer and self-report measures of dysphoric mood in fifth and seventh grade students

Abstract

The present study examined how utilizing different classification criteria for evaluating depression may lead to different conclusions regarding which attributes correlate with depression. This study was designed to specifically look at what is involved when a child met the criterion as depressed on one measure (CDI), but did not meet the criterion as depressed on another measure (PNID) and vice-versa. Children were classified into four groups based on their scores on a self-report (CDI) and peer report (PNID) measure of depression. The differences among these groups were examined on a memory task (Story/Recall), problem-solving task (Coding) and an attributional style measure (KASTAN-R). The major conclusion from this study was that utilizing different classification criteria for evaluating depression did not lead to different conclusions regarding the outcome on such measures as problem-solving, memory and attributional style. This study continues to add mixed results to the childhood depression research. Unlike other research, this study found no differences amon groups for the memory task and the problem-solving task, but did replicate the significant differences on the attributional style task. Future depression studies need to concentrate on how to better measure depression so that differences will be attributed to level of depression rather than lack of agreement among reporters. Future research should examine children on a dimensional basis (multiple settings, several informants, different symptoms of depression, both internal and external).