The Vulnerable Variables And Prediction Of Vulnerability-Stress Model Of Depression In Hunan Adolescents: A Follow-up Study

Objective: (1) To develop a Diathesis-Stress model of depression in Chinese adolescents in which interpersonal relationship and cultural factors are also included. The confirmative study was conducted to investigate the vulnerability and predictability for depression. (2) To compare the differences of high school students between urban and suburb in vulnerability and predictability for depression. (3) On the basis of empirical studies, to explore the theories and practical values of the depression vulnerability model for adolescents.Methods: (1) The original scales about diathesis-stress of depression was provided by developer and scales were translated into Chinese by investigators. Then, the two bilingual translators of McMill university modified the translations, and a final versions were approved by both of them after back-translation. 538 high school students of Changsha in urban and 572 high school students of Liuyang in suburb finished the Chinese version of 15 scales at time one. (2) A follow-up assessment did 1 month later, and we did 6 follow-up assessments together for each time a month. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and Adolescent Life Events Questionnaire (ALEQ-R) were assessed from follow-up one to six within for six month interval. (3) Vulnerability factors for depression symptoms were used to predict depression symptoms by Hierarchical Liner Model (HLM). Structural Equation Model (SEM) were used to explore integrated Vulnerability-Stress model of depression in Chinese urban and suburb high school students.Results: (1) The result of Hierarchical Liner Model(HLM)analysis showed that a number of significant predictive factors for depression of high school students both in urban and suburb. The factors were listed as following respectively: the weakest link,rumination,attachment style and FFIN (Urban:γ₀₅=1.3483, t=3.22;γ₀₇=0.2079, t=2.68;γ₀₈=0.3252, t=6.89;γ₀₉=0.2836, t=4.03; Suburb:γ₀₄=1.1913, t=2.99;γ₀₅=0.1781, t=2.26;γ₀₆=0.2031, t=3.48;γ₀₉=0.2832, t=5.38). The interdependence,collectivism factors also presented significantly predictive effects in urban (γ₀₆=-2.1989, t=-2.69;γ₁₂=-0.5163, t=-3.41), and intrinsic in suburb(γ₀₈=-1.3774, t=-2.78). (2) The predictive effect sizes were ordered as following: rumination,FFIN,interdependence and attachment style in urban; whereas rumination,FFIN,he weakest link,intrinsic and attachment style in suburb. (3)Both urban and suburb high school students of the structural equation model for integrated Vulnerability-Stress model of depression analysis indicated the fit indices: GFI, CFI, IFI＞0.9, RMSEA＜0.1. The results presented that depression directly correlated with stress and personality traits; Among cognitive,interpersonal and cultural factors, the weakest link of the cognition schema served as a key variable. Through rumination, depression was caused by the negative cognitive reasoning. (4) The explanation ratio of vulnerability variables to the total variation was significantly, and the change of R² was 29.80 percent in urban, 31.43 percent in suburb.Conclusion: (1) The stress-cognition-interpersonal relationship-culture model theory of depression in Chinese adolescents was already developed at the first time in China, and the results of this study in Chinese high school students affirmed the theory of Vulnerability-Stress model of depression. (2) The results supported that cognitive and interpersonal vulnerability factors to depression symptoms that identified effect sizes to depression symptoms in Chinese adolescents. (3) The result of Hierarchical Liner Model (HLM) analysis showed that the data fitted the stress-cognition-interpersonal relationship-culture model well with fairly desirable fit indices. (4) To take culture factors into account, a integrated Vulnerability-Stress model of depression in Chinese high school students was provided and to be confirmed.