Poster #143 - Moderating Role of Secure Base Script in the Relationship Between Daily Stressors and Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescence.

• In Event: 3-053 - Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

Abstract
Numerous studies have investigated vulnerabilities leading to the development of depression in childhood. Prominent theoretical frameworks emerged in order to study depression in children and adolescents (Abela & Hankin, 2008; Gibb & Coles, 2005). Cognitive schema theory states that dysfunctional schemas, developed in insecure attachment relationships, may act as moderators. This is more widely known as a diathesis in the association of daily stress and depression. However, only a few studies have evaluated the underlying role of schemas in the development of adolescent depression, and to the best of our knowledge, no study aimed at investigating whether related negative attachment schema’s (scripts that parents provide no secure base care) have the same effect as dysfunctional schemas in this model. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the moderating role of attachment representations (secure base scripts) in the relationship between daily stressors and depressive symptoms in early adolescence.

Method: This was a cross-sectional study in which 338 participants (Mage= 11,11 SD=.57) with 57,5% of girls and 42,5% of boys participated. All participants rated their depressive symptoms with the Children’s Depression Inventory (Kovacs, 2003); Daily stressors were measured by Children’s daily hassles scale (Kanner, Coyne, Schaefer, & Lazarus, 1981); Secure base script was measured with the Secure Base Script Test. (SBST; Waters, Bosmans, Vandevivere, Dujardin, & Waters, 2015).

Results: Correlational analyses revealed significant associations between the study variables (Table 1). As expected, attachment representations negatively correlates with daily stressors and depressive symptoms, and a strong positive correlation between daily stressors and depressive symptoms. Firstly, hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted and evidence was found for an interaction effect between the attachment representations (scripts) and daily stressors in explaining depressive symptoms. To follow-up and visualize this interaction effect, the macro ‘PROCESS’ (Hayes, 2013) was used in SPSS,b = -.10 t(278) = -2.45, p = .02 . Additionally, results of the first cross-sectional analyses are in line with our expectations.

Conclusion: Results suggest that the diathesis-stress model explains variation in depressive symptoms in early adolescents. More specifically, children with more secure base script knowledge experience less stress and depressive symptoms. The interaction between stress and secure base script knowledge is represented in Figure 1. When secure base script knowledge is present, it acts as a buffer or protective factor against daily stress, therefore resulting in lower stress and subsequently depressive symptoms.

Authors

• Tanya van Aswegen, Stellenbosch University
  Presenting Author

• Filip Calders, KU Leuven
  Non-Presenting Author

• Flore Geukens, KU Leuven
  Non-Presenting Author

• Magali Van de Walle, KU Leuven
  Non-Presenting Author

• Viktoria Chubar, KU Leuven
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sofie Weyn, KU Leuven
  Non-Presenting Author

• Patricia Bijttebier, KU Leuven
  Non-Presenting Author

• Guy Bosmans, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
  Non-Presenting Author