TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the Association of Age with Depressive Symptomatology in Childhood and Adolescence
T2 - A Network Study
AU - Klaufus, Leonie H.
AU - Verlinden, Eva
AU - van der Wal, Marcel F.
AU - Cuijpers, Pim
AU - Chinapaw, Mai J. M.
AU - Boschloo, Lynn
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Division 53, American Psychological Association. All Rights Reserved.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Objective: This study aimed to explore the association of age with individual depression and anxiety symptoms and their connectivity (i.e., number/strength of connections with other symptoms) in girls and boys. Method: Our study comprised cross-sectional data from 31,960 Dutch girls and 32,162 Dutch boys aged 8 to 18 and considered 11 depression symptoms and 14 anxiety symptoms measured by the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale. Network estimations were used to examine whether age was associated with individual symptoms and, in a separate step, with the connectivity of depression symptoms with other depression symptoms and with the connectivity of depression symptoms with anxiety symptoms. Results: Age was, in general, positively associated with depression symptoms in girls, but not in boys, and with the connectivity of depression symptoms with other depression symptoms in both sexes. These findings were the most profound for energy-related symptoms in girls. Age was, in general, negatively associated with anxiety symptoms and not or negatively associated with the connectivity of depression symptoms with anxiety symptoms in girls and boys, respectively. Substantial differences across symptoms were found. Conclusions: This study shows that it is important to focus on individual symptoms, for age is mainly associated with energy-related depression symptoms and their connectivity in girls. Future etiologic studies may examine the role of energy-related depression symptoms in the development of depressive symptomatology in girls as these symptoms seem potential targets for the prevention of depression in the female population.
AB - Objective: This study aimed to explore the association of age with individual depression and anxiety symptoms and their connectivity (i.e., number/strength of connections with other symptoms) in girls and boys. Method: Our study comprised cross-sectional data from 31,960 Dutch girls and 32,162 Dutch boys aged 8 to 18 and considered 11 depression symptoms and 14 anxiety symptoms measured by the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale. Network estimations were used to examine whether age was associated with individual symptoms and, in a separate step, with the connectivity of depression symptoms with other depression symptoms and with the connectivity of depression symptoms with anxiety symptoms. Results: Age was, in general, positively associated with depression symptoms in girls, but not in boys, and with the connectivity of depression symptoms with other depression symptoms in both sexes. These findings were the most profound for energy-related symptoms in girls. Age was, in general, negatively associated with anxiety symptoms and not or negatively associated with the connectivity of depression symptoms with anxiety symptoms in girls and boys, respectively. Substantial differences across symptoms were found. Conclusions: This study shows that it is important to focus on individual symptoms, for age is mainly associated with energy-related depression symptoms and their connectivity in girls. Future etiologic studies may examine the role of energy-related depression symptoms in the development of depressive symptomatology in girls as these symptoms seem potential targets for the prevention of depression in the female population.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85135588960&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2022.2096044
DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2022.2096044
M3 - Article
C2 - 35939779
SN - 1537-4416
JO - Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
JF - Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
ER -