BACKGROUND: While various conceptualizations of the link between childhood adversity and later depression have been offered, most have not accounted for the possibility that early adversity predicts continuing stress proximal to depression onset. Thus, the present study tested the possible mediating role of recent stress in the association between early adversity and depression in late adolescence. METHOD: Study questions were examined in a longitudinal community sample of 705 youth who were contemporaneously assessed for early adversity exposure prior to age 5 years, chronic and episodic stress at age 15 years, and major depression prior to age 15 years and between 15 and 20 years. RESULTS: Total youth stress burden at age 15 years mediated the effect of early adversity on depression between ages 15 and 20 years, and none of the observed relationships were moderated by onset of depression prior to age 15 years. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that continued stress exposure proximal to depression onset largely accounts for the association between early adversity and depression in late adolescence. Intervention should thus focus on disrupting the continuity of stressful conditions across childhood and adolescence. Future studies of the neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms of the link between early experiences and depression should explore whether the effects of early experiences are independent of continuing adversity proximal to depressive onset.
BACKGROUND: While various conceptualizations of the link between childhood adversity and later depression have been offered, most have not accounted for the possibility that early adversity predicts continuing stress proximal to depression onset. Thus, the present study tested the possible mediating role of recent stress in the association between early adversity and depression in late adolescence. METHOD: Study questions were examined in a longitudinal community sample of 705 youth who were contemporaneously assessed for early adversity exposure prior to age 5 years, chronic and episodic stress at age 15 years, and major depression prior to age 15 years and between 15 and 20 years. RESULTS: Total youth stress burden at age 15 years mediated the effect of early adversity on depression between ages 15 and 20 years, and none of the observed relationships were moderated by onset of depression prior to age 15 years. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that continued stress exposure proximal to depression onset largely accounts for the association between early adversity and depression in late adolescence. Intervention should thus focus on disrupting the continuity of stressful conditions across childhood and adolescence. Future studies of the neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms of the link between early experiences and depression should explore whether the effects of early experiences are independent of continuing adversity proximal to depressive onset.
Authors: Ronald C Kessler; Katie A McLaughlin; Jennifer Greif Green; Michael J Gruber; Nancy A Sampson; Alan M Zaslavsky; Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola; Ali Obaid Alhamzawi; Jordi Alonso; Matthias Angermeyer; Corina Benjet; Evelyn Bromet; Somnath Chatterji; Giovanni de Girolamo; Koen Demyttenaere; John Fayyad; Silvia Florescu; Gilad Gal; Oye Gureje; Josep Maria Haro; Chi-Yi Hu; Elie G Karam; Norito Kawakami; Sing Lee; Jean-Pierre Lépine; Johan Ormel; José Posada-Villa; Rajesh Sagar; Adley Tsang; T Bedirhan Ustün; Svetlozar Vassilev; Maria Carmen Viana; David R Williams Journal: Br J Psychiatry Date: 2010-11 Impact factor: 9.319
Authors: Suzanne Vrshek-Schallhorn; Kate Wolitzky-Taylor; Leah D Doane; Alyssa Epstein; Jennifer A Sumner; Susan Mineka; Richard E Zinbarg; Michelle G Craske; Ashley Isaia; Constance Hammen; Emma K Adam Journal: Psychol Assess Date: 2014-05-12