Cognitive constructs related to depression in children

Abstract

Hopelessness, anhedonia and automatic thougths have all been related to major depression and depressive symptoms. Few research has been done on these constructs in children, specially together.

Aim. The aim of this study was to translate into Spanish and validate the hopelessness scale for children, the pleasure scale for children, the automatic thougths scale and the Kovak’s child depression inventory, and then to relate the cognitive constructs to depressive symptoms in a sample of normal children.

Methods. Children were recluited from the Federal Primary School «Mexican Air Forces» of Mexico City. All Children from the 3rd to 6th grades were included.

Results. 256 children were included, 53% male and 46% female, mean age 9.8 ± 1.15 years. Internal consistencies for instruments were as follows: anhedonia scale 0.91, hopelessness scale 0.63, automatic thoughts 0.87 and depression 0.80. The factor structures of the translated versions were similar to those reported by their original authors. Interinstruments correlations ranged from –0.17 to 0.39. Automatic thoughts and depressive symptoms reaced the highest significant value (r= 0.39). 6th graders rated significantly lower in all instruments than their 5th and 3rd peers.

Conclusion. All measures studied demonstrate moderate to higth internal reliability and the factor structures predicted. Depressive symptoms among normal children related weakly but significantly to the cognitive constructs studied, just as seen in normal adults.