Pathways to Depressive Symptoms in Young Adults: Examining Affective, Self-Regulatory, and Cognitive Vulnerability Factors

Abstract

Recent models of depression (e.g., from Hyde and colleagues) have integrated affective and cognitive vulnerability factors, positing that a temperamental factor (i.e., negative emotionality) contributes to the development of cognitive vulnerability factors, which in turn conveys risk for depressive symptoms. Recent literature suggests that effortful control may reduce the strength of the relationship between affective and cognitive factors. However, few studies have examined the different cognitive vulnerability factors (cognitive style, brooding, and stress-reactive rumination) through which negative emotionality contributes to depressive symptoms, or how effortful control may influence these paths. 315 young adults (72% women, M age = 20.7 yr., SD = 1.4) answered psychometric measures of temperament factors (negative emotionality and effortful control), and three cognitive vulnerability factors (cognitive style, brooding, stress-reactive rumination), and depressive symptoms. Two hypotheses were tested concerning mediation and moderation of the relationship between negative emotionality and depressive symptoms. Cognitive style and brooding were significant mediators of this relationship, while effortful control did not moderate relations between negative emotionality and cognitive vulnerability factors. Results support models that integrate affective and cognitive vulnerability factors predicting depressive symptoms.