Reciprocal associations between youth's responses to interpersonal stress and depression: the moderating role of sex

This study examined reciprocal associations between responses to interpersonal stress and depression in youth. Specifically, it tested the hypothesis that depression predicts fewer effortful, planful responses to peer stress and more involuntary, dysregulated responses over time, and that these types of responses then predict future depression. In addition, sex differences in these reciprocal associations were explored. Youth (M age = 12.41; SD = 1.19; 86 girls, 81 boys) and their maternal caregivers completed semi-structured interviews and questionnaires at three annual waves. Path analyses were conducted to examine associations between responses to stress and depression. Multi-group comparison analyses revealed sex differences in these associations; in girls, maladaptive interpersonal stress responses predicted depression, whereas in boys, depression predicted maladaptive interpersonal stress responses. These findings indicate that engaging in adaptive responses to stressful interpersonal situations may be more important for girls??? than boys??? psychological well-being, and that boys??? stress responses may be more susceptible than girls??? to their mood states. Findings are discussed with regard to interventions designed to prevent the onset and persistence of depression