The role of learning about social approval and disapproval in adolescent depression.

Lead Research Organisation: University College London
Department Name: Division of Psychiatry

Abstract

In adolescence there is a large increase in rates of depression, particularly in females. Around age 13, depressive symptoms start rising in females, and the gender difference between males and females emerges. We do not understand why this occurs. I believe it could be related to an increase in adolescents' sensitivity to social approval and disapproval. During adolescence, social relationships with peers become more important. Females in particular become more sensitive to their peers' opinions. Adults with depression are better at learning about social disapproval and worse at learning about social approval than healthy individuals. We do not know how such learning develops during adolescence. If adolescents became more sensitive to social approval and disapproval, this could explain why they are at increased risk of depression. If females become more sensitive than males, it might explain the gender difference. Previous research has used self-report methods, which may be susceptible to bias, so this must be tested using objective performance on tasks. I will test this with computerised tasks in 640 adolescents in schools in London. Adolescents aged 11 (early puberty) and 15 (late puberty) will complete a task involving learning about social approval and disapproval, as well as measures of depression and social experiences. These changes in sensitivity to social approval and disapproval may provide targets for interventions that could prevent the first episode of adolescent depression. Preventing the first episode of adolescent depression would be of great public health benefit.

Studentship Projects

Project Reference Relationship Related To Start End Student Name
ES/P000592/1 01/10/2017 30/09/2027
1918828 Studentship ES/P000592/1 01/10/2017 30/11/2020 Jessica Bone
 
Description Depression is twice as common in women as in men and this gender difference emerges during adolescence. Before age 11, the rates of depression are very similar in boys and girls, but, around age 12-13, depression increases sharply in girls. However, we do not understand why this occurs. In my PhD, I have addressed this knowledge gap, contributing to the academic literature in several ways.

Cognitive theories suggest that people with depression have more negative biases in the way that they perceive, interpret, and remember their social environment). In my PhD, I tested the hypothesis that these negative cognitions contribute to the gender difference in depression during adolescence. I examined whether girls have more negative biases in these processes than boys, and whether biases are associated with depressive symptoms in early and mid-adolescence.

I collected data from 331 young and 268 mid-adolescents (aged 11-12 and 13-15 years). I tested whether learning about social evaluation (i.e. learning whether others and the self are liked and disliked) differed across genders or age groups. I then developed and validated computational models of learning about social evaluation. I also tested whether biases in memory were more negative in young and mid-adolescent girls and were associated with depressive symptoms. I found that negative biases in learning about social evaluation and memory for social evaluation were associated with increased depressive symptoms in young and mid-adolescents. There was no strong evidence for gender differences in these processes. Finally, I tested whether there were gender differences in different domains of dysfunctional attitudes. These are negative beliefs about the self, which can be divided into perfectionism and concerns about social approval. I found that perfectionism was associated with more severe depressive symptoms across adolescence and girls had higher perfectionism than boys in mid-adolescence.

My findings suggest that thinking about social interactions is not more negatively biased in girls than boys during adolescence, although girls may have more perfectionism than boys. Negative biases in learning about social evaluation, memory for social evaluation, and perfectionism were associated with depressive symptoms from early adolescence. These negative biases may be a risk factor for depression and present a good candidate for future longitudinal studies.
Exploitation Route I proposed a novel hypothesis to explain the gender difference in depression, linking ideas from different fields. This provides a testable theoretical model for future investigation. To test my hypothesis, I developed two cognitive tasks measuring aspects of information processing which had not previously been studied in adolescence. These novel tasks could be incorporated into future large cohort studies of adolescent mental health. I performed preliminary tests of my hypothesis, which indicated that these two aspects of social information processing did not demonstrate gender differences. However, I did find evidence for gender differences in perfectionism, providing a potential focus for future longitudinal research. Additionally, I found evidence that negative biases in perfectionism and social information processing, measured using my novel cognitive tasks, were associated with increased depressive symptoms. This extends the body of evidence on potential risk factors for depression in adolescence. Longitudinal studies which combine approaches from developmental cognitive neuroscience, epidemiology, and computational psychiatry are now needed. This would allow the application of rigorous methodology from epidemiology to test mechanistic factors which are the focus of developmental cognitive neuroscience and computational psychiatry.

I have published two papers in high impact peer-reviewed journals from my PhD and am also preparing two other papers for publication. I collaborated on an additional published paper using data from my PhD and have presented findings from my thesis at international conferences. This will ensure that they inform future research.

My findings have implications for the treatment and prevention of depression. Cognitive vulnerability from the biases I identified might be a way to reduce and prevent depressive symptoms in adolescence. Researchers could develop interventions that directly target biases in social information processing, and clinicians could focus more specifically on perfectionism during therapy.
Sectors Education,Healthcare
 
Description My findings have not yet contributed to any direct non-academic impacts, but they could have implications for mental health and education policy. Negative biases in learning about and recall of social evaluation and perfectionism could influence adolescents' motivation and achievement in school. Targeting these processes in health promotion and education policies could enable improvements in future academic, social, and economic success. I have liaised with schools and communicated these findings to teachers.
First Year Of Impact 2020
Sector Education
Impact Types Policy & public services
 
Description Division of Psychiatry Conference and Travel Fund
Amount £645 (GBP)
Organisation University College London 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2019 
End 09/2019
 
Description Pre-Conference Workshop Travel Stipend
Amount $125 (USD)
Organisation Flux Society 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country Canada
Start 09/2019 
End 09/2019
 
Description Summer Meeting Training Bursary
Amount £285 (GBP)
Organisation British Association for Psychopharmacology 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 07/2019 
End 07/2019
 
Description School assemblies 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Gave assemblies to several groups of students (probably around 200 in total) in two secondary schools in London. These assemblies were on mental health awareness, importance, and general discussion of how to improve your mental health. Students were engaged and answered questions and joined discussion afterwards. We then encouraged students to participate in our mental health research.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018,2019
 
Description Student advisory group 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Involved 6 secondary school students in the design and planning of my research study, as a participant advisory group. Students learnt about mental health research and enjoyed advising on key decisions and piloting tasks.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018,2019