Letter to the Editor
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Psychiatry. Apr 19, 2025; 15(4): 100758
Published online Apr 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i4.100758
Dysfunctional attitudes, social support, and adolescent depression
Xi Yang, Peng Li, Gui-Ying Liu, Dan Shan
Xi Yang, Gui-Ying Liu, Department of Pediatrics, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100029, China
Peng Li, The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology of National Health Commission, Beijing 100730, China
Dan Shan, Clinical Science Institute, University Hospital Galway, Galway H91 YR71, Ireland
Co-first authors: Xi Yang and Peng Li.
Co-corresponding authors: Gui-Ying Liu and Dan Shan.
Author contributions: Yang X and Li P performed the research and wrote this original manuscript, and they contributed equally to this work as co-first authors; Liu GY and Shan D oversaw the project and revised the manuscript, and they contributed equally to this work as co-corresponding authors.
Supported by National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding Project, No. BJ-2023-206.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Dan Shan, MD, Clinical Science Institute, University Hospital Galway, Newcastle Road, Galway H91 YR71, Ireland. d.shan6@universityofgalway.ie
Received: August 25, 2024
Revised: January 13, 2025
Accepted: January 24, 2025
Published online: April 19, 2025
Processing time: 211 Days and 22.5 Hours
Abstract

Adolescent depressive symptoms represent a significant public health concern, with negative life events and dysfunctional attitudes playing pivotal roles in their development. A cross-sectional study by Yu et al assessed the interplay between dysfunctional attitudes, social support, and depressive symptoms in 795 Chinese adolescents (49.9% male, mean age 15.2 ± 1.8 years, age range 11-18 years) from five middle schools in Shandong Province. Using the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale, Adolescent Life Events Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and Social Support Rating Scale, the study identified that dysfunctional attitudes, particularly over-autonomy and over-perfectionism, mediate the relationship between negative life events and depressive symptoms. Social support moderated this relationship, significantly reducing depressive symptoms. These findings underscore the need for preventive and therapeutic strategies targeting dysfunctional attitudes and enhancing social support to address adolescent depressive symptoms. In this article, we extend their findings to highlight the significance of culturally tailored interventions that incorporate familial and community dynamics in mitigating depressive symptoms, particularly in collectivist societies.

Keywords: Adolescent depression; Dysfunctional attitudes; Social support; Negative life events; Over-autonomy; Over-perfectionism

Core Tip: In this study, we discuss the relationship between negative life events, dysfunctional attitudes, and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents, highlighting the moderating effect of social support. Over-autonomy and over-perfectionism may mediate the impact of negative life events on depressive symptoms. Strengthening social support can substantially mitigate these effects, offering valuable insights for developing targeted interventions to reduce depressive symptoms among adolescents.