Defensiveness predicts peer rejection of depressed children

The present study examined the ironic possibility that defensiveness, far f rom suppressing depression and staving off negative interpersonal consequen ces, is actually associated with interpersonal difficulties (e.g. peer reje ction). Participants were 72 youth psychiatric inpatients (aged 7-17 years, mean SD 13.18 +/- 2.59 years), who completed self-report measures of defen siveness and depression. Chart diagnoses were available, and peer rejection ratings were collected. Results indicated that depressed children with a d efensive style obtained the highest peer rejection ratings; other children, including depressed but non-defensive children, were not as negatively rat ed by peers. Implications regarding self-presentation and depression, as we ll as regarding clinical work with depressed people, were discussed. (C) 20 01 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.