Cognitive Vulnerability, Stress, and Symptom Specificity in Children and Adolescents

摘要

Given significant advancements in understanding, preventing, and treating affective disorders amontg children and adolescents, the prevalence of depressive and anxious disorders is unnerving. Approximately 20% of youth will experience a depressive episode by the age of 18 (Hankin et al., 1998), and nearly one in four Americans will experience an anxiety disorder across their lifetime (Kessler et al., 1994). For many youth, these disorders critically impact their developmental trajectory, contributing to a wide array of issues including but not limited to academic difficulties, interpersonal discord, risky behavior engagement, and physical health problems (e.g., Auerbach, Tsai, & Abela, 2010; Avenevoli, Knight, Kessler, & Merikangas, 2008; Schonfeld et al., 1997). In addition to the incalculable emotional toll, the direct and indirect financial burden associated with these disorders is staggering (depressive disorders: $33 billion-Greenberg et al., 1999; anxiety disorders: $46.6 billion-DuPont et al., 1996). Therefore, in response to such alarming data, researchers have sought to identify key etiological factors that underlie the onset and maintenance of affective disorders among youth.