Depression predicts emotion acceptance beliefs in early adolescence: A longitudinal investigation

Objectives Adolescence is a time period which confers significant risk for the development of psychopathology. There is increasing consensus within the literature that beliefs about one’s emotional experience are important and may present a unique risk factor during this time period. However, to date, there has been no longitudinal examination of the relationship between depression and specific beliefs regarding the acceptability of experiencing and expressing emotion in young people. Design The present study used a cross-lagged longitudinal design with questionnaires completed at two waves spaced 8 months apart. Methods 506 participants (50.60% female) aged 12–15 years completed the Beliefs about Emotion questionnaire to assess for beliefs regarding the acceptability of experiencing and expressing emotions, and the depression subscale of the DASS-21 to measure depressive symptoms. Results Greater depressive symptoms were associated with more negative beliefs about emotion at both time points. More negative beliefs about emotion at T1 did not significantly predict greater depressive symptoms at T2. However, greater depressive symptoms at T1 predicted significantly more negative beliefs about emotions at T2. Conclusions Greater beliefs about the unacceptability of experiencing or expressing emotions do not appear to predispose young people to depression. Rather, these beliefs appear to emerge following earlier experiences of depressive symptoms. Further research is needed over multiple measurement waves to further elucidate the relationship between emotion acceptance beliefs and depressive symptoms across adolescence into adulthood and whether such beliefs may predict future depressive episodes indirectly via difficulties in emotion regulation.