Unique pathways to depression after emotional maltreatment exposure: Mediating mechanisms and demographic considerations in a child welfare sample

McNeil, Shiesha LaShay

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124421 Copy

Description

Title

Unique pathways to depression after emotional maltreatment exposure: Mediating mechanisms and demographic considerations in a child welfare sample

Author(s)

McNeil, Shiesha LaShay

Issue Date

2024-05-01

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Cohen, Joseph R

Department of Study

Psychology

Discipline

Psychology

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.S.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• depression
• adolescence
• emotional maltreatment
• emotional abuse
• school engagement

Abstract

Emotional maltreatment is a risk factor for adolescent depression. Yet, it remains unclear whether commissions and omissions of emotional maltreatment (a) confer vulnerability via distinct mechanisms and (b) demonstrate similar risk across adolescent subpopulations. The present, multi-wave study examined whether school engagement and peer relationships explain the depressive effects of distinct emotional maltreatment subtypes in an at-risk child welfare sample (N=687; ages 11-14, AgeMean=12.49). Findings indicated that commission subtypes of emotional maltreatment predicted increasing depressive symptoms via increasing peer relationship problems, especially for girls. Meanwhile, decreasing school engagement was a depressogenic risk pathway for Hispanic adolescents reporting omission subtypes of emotional maltreatment. Results emphasize the importance of distinguishing between emotional maltreatment subtypes to identify specific risk pathways for adolescent depression.

Graduation Semester

2024-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2024 Shiesha McNeil

Owning Collections