Is it behavioral peer rejection or perceived rejection that predicts depressive symptoms in adolescence?

Abstract

Introduction: Depressive symptoms increase during adolescence, especially in girls. Rejection from peers was found to be related to the development of depressive symptoms in adolescents. Nonverbal behaviors from peers but also more negative interpretations of facial expressions can lead to feelings of being rejected. A Social Skills Deficit Model for depression was tested investigating the predicting role of both rejection constructs as well as the concurrent role of having a bias in interpreting facial expressions. Methods: Using longitudinal data collected in four waves, three analyses were conducted. First, the predictive value of subtle negative nonverbal behaviors of peers (behavioral rejection) for depressive symptoms was tested. Adolescents (N = 170), without (mild) depression at wave 1, participated in videotaped conversation with a same-sex peer. Three (clusters of) nonverbal behaviors (negative facial expressions, discomfort, disinterest) were coded. Second, the concurrent value of perceived rejection for depressive symptoms was tested using a sample of participants (N = 576) that included adolescents with (mild) depressive symptoms at the wave of the first measurement. Third, the predictive value of having an interpretation bias for emotional facial expressions (perceived rejection) for depressive symptoms in a sample of adolescents (N = 495) was tested in a group without (mild) depression at the wave of the first measurement. Pictures of faces with different facial expressions were shown and participants had to indicate the level they perceived rejection. Results & Discussion: Solely disinterest from peers seemed to predict depressive symptoms, but only when looking at boys and girls separately. However, for boys this effect was very small and only found for really high disinterest and for girls the subgroup that showed high disinterest was very small and might not have been representative. Perceived rejection was found to be significantly more displayed in girls. However, no concurrent or predictive link to depression was found. In this study mostly variance in depressive symptoms in the normative range was explained, so it is recommended to further investigate the possible predictive value for (mild) depression in the (sub)clinical range.