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Using self-report data to differentiate anxious and depressive symptoms in adolescents: Cognitive content specificityand global distress?

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Abstract

This investigation contrasted the cognitive content or cognitions of 162 inpatient adolescents (M=14.6,SD=1.6) in an effort to differentiate noncognitive anxiety and depressive symptoms. A principal-factors analysis with promax rotation of the Cognition Checklist (Beck, Brown, Steer, Eidelson, & Riskind, 1987) revealed that anxiety and depressive cognitions consisted of three factors, consistent with the tripartite theory of internalizing affect (Clark & Watson, 1991): specific anxiety cognitions, specific depressive cognitions, and general cognitions (overlapping depressive and anxious cognitions). Self-reported noncognitive depressive symptoms were significantly predicted by specific depressive cognitions and general cognitions; specific anxiety cognitions did not significantly predict depressive symptoms. Self-reported noncognitive anxiety symptoms were significantly predicted by specific anxiety cognitions and general cognitions, but were not predicted by specific depressive cognitions. Results were interpreted in light of the cognitive content-specificity hypothesis (Beck, 1976) and the tripartite model of internalizing symptoms.

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Jolly, J.B., Dykman, R.A. Using self-report data to differentiate anxious and depressive symptoms in adolescents: Cognitive content specificityand global distress?. Cogn Ther Res 18, 25–37 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02359393

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