Peer contagion and adolescent depression: the role of failure anticipation

Abstract

The current study investigated the mechanisms underlying peer contagion of depressive symptoms in adolescence. Five annual measurements of data were gathered from a large (N = 842) community-based network of adolescents (M = 14.3 years at first measurement). Results showed that, after controlling for selection and deselection of friends on the basis of depressive symptoms, peers' depressive symptoms predicted increases in adolescents' depressive symptoms over time. Failure anticipation mediated effects of peers' depressive symptoms on adolescents' depressive symptoms, particularly for girls. Thus, results suggest that peers' depressive symptoms place adolescents at risk of developing depressive symptoms through increasing in failure anticipation.