STRESSFUL LIFE EVENTS IN DEPRESSED ADOLESCENTS - THE ROLE OF DEPENDENT EVENTS DURING THE DEPRESSIVE EPISODE

Objective: To examine the relationship between stressful life events a nd major depressive disorder (MDD) in adolescents. Method: Adolescents (aged 12 to 18 years) with a current episode of MDD based on Research Diagnostic Criteria (n = 39) and normal controls free of any Axis I l ifetime psychiatric disorder (n = 35) were assessed using the Life Eve nts Record. Results: MDD and normal control adolescents had similar ra tes of total stressful life events in the year before being interviewe d. Stressful life events were dichotomized into those that were most l ikely either independent of or dependent on the adolescent's influence /behavior. Depressed adolescents had significantly more dependent stre ssful life events during the previous year than did the normal control s. Further analyses showed that depressed adolescents with dependent s tressful life events scored lower on symptom clusters and accordingly were less severely depressed than depressed adolescents without depend ent life events. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that depressed adolescents have an increased risk for experiencing dependen t life events. Furthermore, these data suggest that dependent life eve nts in depressed adolescents are differentially associated with the ty pe and severity of symptom presentation. The temporal occurrence, seve rity, and type of stressful life events as they relate to the onset, p henotypic expression, and maintenance of depression in adolescents nee d to be more fully understood. Adolesc. Psychiatry, 1995, 34, 5:591-59 8.