Abstract

BAPTISTA, Makilim Nunes; HAUCK FILHO, Nelson  and  CARDOSO, Cassandra. Depression and subject well-being in children and adolescents: testing theoretical models. Psico (Porto Alegre) [online]. 2016, vol.47, n.4, pp. 259-267. ISSN 1980-8623.  http://dx.doi.org/10.15448/1980-8623.2016.4.23012.

Despite symptoms of depression and indicators of subjective well-being are theoretically orthogonal entities, available evidence suggests a negative correlation between them. The present study sought to test concurrent confirmatory models with the purpose of explaining the complex relationship between indicators of depression and subjective well-being among children and adolescents. Participants were 331 students with ages from 10 to 16 years old (M = 12.42, SD = 1.00). Participants answered the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), the Baptista's Depression Inventory-Youth Version (EBADEP-IJ), and the Subjective Well-Being Scale (EBES). A bifactor model yielded the best fit to the data, with indicators of depression and subjective well-being loading differently (positive and negative, respectively) on a general factor, besides subjective well-being loaded as well on a separate specific positive factor. Findings shed light on the apparent controversy surrounding depression and subjective well-being as opposite poles of a same continuum or as unrelated entities.

Keywords : Depression; Happiness; Bi-factor analysis.

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