The metacognitive model of depression in a Norwegian non-clinical adolescent community sample - A cross-sectional study
Abstract
The current cross-sectional study aims to examine the metacognitive model of depression in a large non-clinical community sample of adolescents (N = 1198) aged 16 to 20, and whether co-rumination could be a valuable contribution to the model. Although women showed higher levels of depressive symptoms, metacognitions, and brooding compared to men, a metacognitive model of depression was supported for explaining the development of depressive symptoms in both sexes. Co-rumination was not a valuable contribution to the model and predicted depressive symptoms negatively. Women had higher levels of corumination compared to men. Age did not have a significant impact on depressive symptoms, implying that the sex difference in, and the incidence of, depressive symptoms have stabilized before the age of 16. The results of this study might suggest that preventive interventions based on the metacognitive perspective could be beneficial to decrease depressive symptoms in adolescence. Future research is warranted to replicate this study and to examine whether co-rumination could be a valuable contribution to the model in a Norwegian sample, as well as samples from other geographical areas with different cultures.