Cognitive distortion in depressed adolescents.

Cognitive theories of the etiology of depression in adulthood have received widespread acceptance. To date there is little evidence of the role of cognitive distortion in the etiology of depression among adolescents. This study was conducted to determine whether or not cognitive distortion differentiates depressed adolescents from non-depressed adolescents. The Dysfunctional Attitude Scale, a measure of cognitive distortion, was administered to three groups of adolescents: clinically depressed; non-depressed with non-psychotic psychiatric disorders; and a non-clinical group of adolescents without psychiatric disorders. A subset of the depressed patients was re-administered the scale after they had clinically recovered from the depressive episode. The depressed adolescents had significantly greater cognitive distortion than the non-depressed adolescents. Remission of the depressive disorder was associated with a significant reduction in cognitive distortion, although the level of cognitive distortion was still significantly higher than normal.