Irrational beliefs and depression in adolescence

Based on a cognitive-behavioral perspective, this study explored the presence of different categories of irrational beliefs in relation to depressive symptoms in a sample of 11- to 18-year-old adolescents. Results showed an increase in depressive symptoms from the beginning to the end of adolescence. Girls demonstrated a higher level of depression, while boys became less depressed once they entered adolescence. Results demonstrated no fluctuation in global scores on irrationality as a function of age or sex. However, the "low frustration tolerance" category of irrational beliefs showed a decrease with age (i.e., the 11- to 12-year-old group expressed a significantly higher rate than did the older groups. On the other hand, mean scores showed an increase with age in the category of "self-directed should," although this did not reach a statistically significant level. Low and high depressed subjects distinguished themselves on the global irrationality score. Two types of irrational beliefs differentiated the high and low depressive groups. High-depressive adolescents demonstrated a stronger tendency to dramatize situations. In addition, it appears that adolescents may think in a way that makes them less tolerant of frustration than do nondepressive adolescents. These findings were consistent for both measures of depression. Another category of irrational beliefs which showed an increase in the depressive sample is the "self-directed should." However, it was present for only one of the two measures of depression. Depressive adolescents tended to make unrealistic demands on themselves. Results are discussed in the context of the application of cognitive models of therapy in the treatment of depression in adolescent populations.