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Updated: Jun 15, 2026
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Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression
Published on: May 19, 2015
Cognitive measures of adolescent depression: unique or unitary constructs?
Golda S Ginsburg1, Susan G Silva, Rachel H Jacobs
1Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287-3325, USA. gginsbu@jhmi.edu
Summary
This study identified four key cognitive domains in adolescents with depression: distortions, avoidance, outlook, and solution-focused thinking. These cognitive patterns relate to depression severity and predict treatment outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Adolescent Psychiatry
Background:
- Cognitive factors are crucial in understanding and treating adolescent depression.
- Existing self-report measures assess various depression-relevant cognitions.
- The factor structure of these cognitions in adolescents with major depressive disorder requires clarification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the factor structure of widely used self-report questionnaires for depression-relevant cognitions.
- To identify distinct cognitive domains in adolescents diagnosed with major depressive disorder.
- To assess the reliability and validity of these cognitive factors.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 390 adolescents with major depressive disorder from the Treatment of Adolescents with Depression Study was analyzed.
- Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the underlying structure of cognitive measures.
- Internal consistencies of the derived factor scores were calculated.
Main Results:
- A robust four-factor solution emerged, explaining 65% of the variance.
- The factors were identified as Cognitive Distortions and Maladaptive Beliefs, Cognitive Avoidance, Positive Outlook, and Solution-Focused Thinking.
- Internal consistencies ranged from .82 to .85; girls reported more negative cognitions than boys on three factors.
Conclusions:
- Four distinct cognitive domains are present in adolescents with depression.
- Maladaptive cognitions correlate with depression severity and predict treatment response.
- Findings support the use of these measures to understand cognitive heterogeneity in adolescent depression.
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