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Cognitive Transformation and Valence in Adolescents' Turning Point Narratives: Prospective Effects on Depressive
Je'Nae A Johnson1, Sydney Carroll2, Adam J Hoffman3
1Department of Psychology, Wayne State University.
Objective:
Although adolescence represents a high-risk period for the onset or escalation of depressive symptoms, little is known about cognitive protective factors that may buffer against such increases. Guided by cognitive theories of depression and posttraumatic growth literature, the current study examined adolescents' turning point narratives to determine whether cognitive transformation - an adaptive cognitive shift that fosters a newfound perspective following a life-altering event - protected against increases in depressive symptoms from ninth to 10th grade. Additionally, the study investigated whether cognitive transformation is particularly protective in the context of adverse, compared to neutral or positive, turning point experiences.
Method:
Participants were 388 ninth graders (Mage = 14.05; 46.6% White, 19.2.% Black, 16.8% Asian, and 17.4% other races/ethnicities) who completed surveys assessing depressive symptoms in both ninth and 10th grade, as well as a turning point narrative at the beginning of 10th grade. Turning point narratives were coded for themes, the presence of cognitive transformation, and valence. Regression analyses estimated the association between cognitive transformation and subsequent depressive symptoms, and whether the association was moderated by turning point event valence.
Results:
Analyses revealed that adolescents who showed greater cognitive transformation in their turning point narratives experienced fewer depressive symptoms three months later, and that this association was stronger when turning point events were negative compared to neutral or positive.
Conclusions:
These findings signify the power of a positive mind-set in the face of life-altering experiences and its prospective effects on high school adolescents' mental health.
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