Do Predictors of First-Onset Depression Differ Between Youth with and without Anxiety Disorders?

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Developmental Psychology
• Mental Health Research

Background:

• Anxiety disorders in youth are a significant risk factor for developing subsequent depressive disorders.
• Despite this link, the specific factors influencing this sequential comorbidity remain under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the factors that moderate the association between childhood/early-adolescent anxiety disorders and the subsequent development of depressive disorders.
• To examine a range of potential risk factors, including biological, psychological, and social variables.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of two samples of predominantly White suburban youth (N=504 girls, N=437 children).
• Assessment of anxiety and depressive disorders over 6 years (Sample 1) and from childhood to age 18 (Sample 2).
• Examination of moderators including sex, symptom profiles, rumination, temperament, interpersonal functioning, parental history, parenting, reward processing, and cortisol.

Main Results:

• Childhood/early-adolescent anxiety disorders elevated the risk for subsequent depression by 63% to 90% in later adolescence/early adulthood.
• While several risk factors predicted first-onset depression, none moderated the impact of prior anxiety on later depression.
• The predictors of depression were similar in both anxious and non-anxious youth.

Conclusions:

• Childhood/early-adolescent anxiety disorders are a strong predictor of subsequent depression.
• The identified risk factors do not alter the pathway from anxiety to depression, indicating a robust effect of anxiety history.