RESPONSE STYLES AND NEGATIVE AFFECT AMONG ADOLESCENTS

This study examined several tenets of the response styles theory of de pression (RST Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991) and its generalizability to adoles cent populations. Using a short-term longitudinal design, we evaluated whether response styles (i.e., ruminative and distractive responses t o depressed mood) predict depression severity and whether they do so b eyond the effects attributable to other cognitive variables. Anxiety w as also assessed to investigate the specificity of RST to depression. Finally, we investigated gender differences in response style and whet her these differences account for the gender difference in depression that emerges during adolescence. Self-reported affective symptoms and cognitive predictors (attributional style and private self-consciousne ss) were assessed in 397 adolescents. Results indicated that response style variables predicted concurrent and future (6-week followup) mood scores beyond effects accounted for by other cognitive variables. Rum ination was less specific to the prediction of depression than was dis traction, but only rumination predicted future depressed mood. Althoug h girls reported more rumination, controlling for response style did n ot eliminate the gender difference in depression. Results are discusse d with respect to the current status of RST, including construct measu rement and its relevance to adolescent depression.