RELATEDNESS, SELF-DEFINITION, AND EARLY ADOLESCENT ADJUSTMENT

Concerns of young adolescents with interpersonal relatedness and self- definition assessed by the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire for Ad olescents, were examined in relation to measures of maladjustment (int ernalizing and externalizing problems) and adaptive capacities (multip le dimensions of social competence and quality of relationships with p arents and peers). Participants were four hundred ninety nine 6th and 7th grade students attending a large, ethnically and socioeconomically diverse, urban school. Factor analysis of the DEQ-A resulted in a fac tor structure similar to that obtained in previous research with older adolescents and adults. Prior findings of associations between DEQ-A factors and internalizing and externalizing problems, after controllin g for levels of depressive symptoms, were also replicated in this samp le. Furthermore, associations were found linking adolescents' interper sonal concerns, self-criticism and efficacy, as assessed on the DEQ-A, with measures of social competence and quality of relationships with parents and peers.