Heterogeneity in the co‐occurrence of depression and anxiety symptoms among youth survivors: A longitudinal study using latent profile analysis

Abstract Background Parenting styles play a critical role in children’s development, especially for those in families with a depressed parent. To date, no study has explored whether youth perceptions of parenting style are heterogeneous in families with a depressed parent or whether heterogeneous parenting styles are associated with children’s internalizing symptoms. Methods Participants were children aged 8–16 years who had a parent with major depressive disorder; they were enrolled through their parents, who were outpatients at two hospitals in Ningxia. Parenting styles were measured using the Parental Bonding Instrument. Youth depression and anxiety were measured using the Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children and the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders, respectively. We applied latent profile analysis to identify the subtypes of parenting styles with similar patterns. Differences between subtypes in relation to demographic variables and parenting style scores were calculated using one-way ANOVAs, Wilcoxon rank sum tests, and chi-squared tests. Bivariate logistic analyses were conducted to examine the associations between parental bonding subtypes and children’s depression and anxiety. Results Four parenting styles were identified through latent profile analysis: care-autonomy, overprotection-indifference, indifference, and undifferentiated parenting. Youth with care-autonomy parents had a lower risk of depression (OR: 0.16; 95% CI: 0.06–0.41) and anxiety (OR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.10–0.48), while indifference parenting increased children’s risk of depression (OR: 5.29; 95% CI: 1.30–21.54) more than undifferentiated parenting. Conclusions Children with a depressed parent had heterogeneous perceptions of parenting styles. Mothers’ and fathers’ parenting styles were largely congruent. Care-autonomy parenting (high care and high autonomy) may decrease children’s risk of depression, whereas indifference parenting (low care and autonomy) may increase their risk of depression.

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A latent profile analysis of repetitive negative thinking: Distinguishing ruminators from worriers

Journal of Experimental Psychopathology ◽

10.1177/2043808718811428 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. 204380871881142 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Blair E. Wisco ◽

Andre J. Plate ◽

Casey L. May ◽

Amelia Aldao

Keyword(s):

Latent Profile Analysis ◽

Profile Analysis ◽

Statistical Technique ◽

Thinking Styles ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Repetitive Thinking ◽

Negative Thinking ◽

Two Samples ◽

Person Centered Approach ◽

Latent Profile

Rumination (negative thinking about the past) and worry (anxious apprehension) are two forms of repetitive thinking associated with psychopathology. Prior research indicates that rumination and worry have both distinct and overlapping features, but the extent to which there are separable groups of individuals who engage in rumination, worry, or both has yet to be examined. We used latent profile analysis, a person-centered statistical technique, to examine profiles of repetitive thinkers in two samples ( ns = 635 and 755). In both studies, profiles emerged of individuals who rarely ruminate or worry ( low repetitive thinkers), individuals who primarily ruminate ( ruminators), individuals who primarily worry ( worriers), and individuals who frequently ruminate and worry ( high repetitive thinkers). In Study 2, a fifth profile of average repetitive thinkers also emerged. Across both samples, high repetitive thinkers showed the highest levels of depression and anxiety symptoms, followed by worriers and ruminators, and then by low repetitive thinkers. In Study 2, the average repetitive thinkers fell below the ruminators and worriers but above the low repetitive thinkers. Thus, there are distinct groups of ruminators and worriers, but individuals who engage in both rumination and worry exhibit the worst outcomes. As such, these findings support adopting a person-centered approach to better understand repetitive thinking styles.

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