Resilience as a Predictor of Depressive Symptoms: A Correlational Study with Young Adolescents

Abstract

This correlational study explored the Resilience Scale for Adolescents (READ) as a predictor for developing depressive symptoms controlling for known risk factors. A young adolescent sample (N = 387) completed the READ, the Short Mood and Feeling Questionnaire (SMFQ), Social Phobia Anxiety Index for Children (SPAI-C), and the occurrence of Stressful Life Events (SLE). In addition, a subsample of their parents (N = 240) completed a parental version of READ (READ-P). The results indicated that the READ assesses important protective factors that are associated with fewer depressive symptoms among young adolescents even when controlling for known risk factors. All five READ-factors were predictors of depressive symptoms, while the READ-P showed no predictive value. There were no significant interaction effects between READ and SLE. There were, however, significant main-effects supporting a compensatory model of protective factors. The findings suggest that the READ is a significant predictor of mental health and a useful tool for further research examining differences in stress tolerance among young adolescents.