A longitudinal approach to the contribution of trauma and external shame on depressive symptoms in adolescence

Abstract

Introduction

Trauma experiences during childhood and adolescence (Gibb, 2002; Ansel et al., 2011; Musliner et Singer, 2014; Hopwood et al., 2015), the experience of shame (Rubeis et al., 2008; Cunha et al., 2012; Rosso et al., 2014; Stuewig et al., 2015) and gender (English et al., 2004; Rosso et al., 2014) had been considered as predictors of depressive symptoms.

Objectives

To observe intra-indidual variability of trauma, external shame, gender (as predictors) and depressive symptoms (as dependent variable).

Aims

To test the predictive value of trauma, external shame and gender on depressive symptoms at 6 months, in adolescents.

Method

A sample of 325 adolescents (ages ranging from 12–18) completed the Child Depression Inventory, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Other as Shamer, adolescents version. The results were analysed by the hierarchical multiple regression method (SPSS Inc., 22).

Results

The model – shame (b = 0.63; P < 0.001); affective abuse (b = 0.15, P = 0.001), gender (b = 0.12; P = 0.001), sexual abuse (b = 0.12, P = 0.002), and emotional neglect (b = 0.10; P = 0.013) – explained 63% of depressive symptoms variance.

Conclusions

The data indicate that the higher the level of shame and trauma, the higher the level of depressive symptoms at 6 months. The present study can add important information that sheds light to the role of mechanisms underlying the vulnerability to depressive symptoms and that might have impact in the existing therapeutic interventions.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.