Role of Positive Temperament in Depression among Youth:A Comparison of Clinical and Non-Clinical Individuals

In most of the studies among youth, relationships between temperament and depression were investigated with a primary focus on impact of the negative emotionality (NE) dimension of temperament. The present study aims to understand the problem whether positive emotionality (PE) also plays any significant role in associations with depressive symptoms. In a convenience sample of 106 non-clinical youth (1118 years; M = 15.28, SD = .89) and 87 clinical youth (1118 years; M = 16.37, SD = .96), data was collected onNE and PE using Hierarchical Personality Inventory for Children (HiPIC) and depressive symptoms using Child Behavior Checklist for children ages 6-18 years (CBCL). Findings indicated that high levels of NE and low levels of PE were both related with more number of depressive symptoms. It was also found that the interaction of PE and NE was significantly associated to depressive symptoms, with lower PE levels being a significant vulnerability factor, which facilitates the association between higher NE levels and depressive symptoms. Present study findings determine the need of identifying factors of resilience for depression among youth. Insight into these factors is necessary for the successful development and appropriate implementation of prevention strategies and effective intervention programs for depressive symptoms.