Abstract
The purpose of the present study is to examine the patterns of depressive response of adolescents on The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Subjects, who were registered at the Western Québec Regional School Board (Grades 7–12), completed the BDI in the context of intact classes. Out of 1015 subjects, 249 (152 females, 97 males) met the cut-off score of 15 and above on the BDI, and were retained for the study. Sixty-three percent were francophone and 37 percent were anglophone. Ages ranged from 12 to 17 years. Results did not reveal any difference in the BDI scores as a function of either sex, age, or language. However, a significant discriminant function was obtained from subjects' responses that correctly differentiates depressed males from depressed females in 67.8% of the cases. These differential patterns of depressive responding are compared with those observed in depressed college students and adult psychiatric patients, and discussed in light of the literature on adolescent depression.
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Baron, P., Joly, E. Sex differences in the expression of depression in adolescents. Sex Roles 18, 1–7 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288013
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288013