[Predictive factors of depression in adolescents at school: the role of implicit theories of intelligence].

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to complete the identification of predictive factors of depression during adolescence. For some authors, depression is characterized by a style of attribution, which consists essentially in attributing most of the negative outcomes to internal, stable, and uncontrollable factors. It seems that these attributions depend essentially on the type of their beliefs and in particular, those concerning the nature of intelligence. These beliefs called "implicit theories of intelligence", are the entity theory of intelligence and the incremental theory of intelligence. The entity theory of intelligence corresponds to the belief according to which intelligence is the expression of a relatively stable, fixed, and noncontrollable feature, and which we cannot change. In contrast, the incremental theory corresponds to the belief according to which intelligence is a controllable quality, which we can develop through effort and work. Several studies have demonstrated that the adolescents who consider intelligence as a malleable quality explain their bad results by internal, unstable, and controllable factors. Conversely, students who consider intelligence as a fixed capacity tend to strongly attribute their failure to internal, stable, and uncontrollable factors. We have consequently formulated the hypothesis according to which the entity theory should be a predictive factor of depression. We have also tested the fact that anxiety should be a mediating factor within the relation between the entity theory and depression.

METHOD: The sample was composed of 424 adolescents. Using different questionnaires, we measured implicit theories of the intelligence (TIDI), self-esteem (EES), anxiety (STAI-Form Y-B) and depression (CDI).

RESULTS: Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that the entity theory of intelligence positively predicts depression. Self-esteem negatively predicts anxiety and depression. Moreover, anxiety is a mediator of the relation between self-esteem and depression, on one hand, and the relation between the entity theory of intelligence and depression, on the other. Finally, the effect of the entity theory of intelligence appears to be modulated by the level of self-esteem.

DISCUSSION: This study explains the mechanisms by which the implicit theories of intelligence engender anxiety and depression. Furthermore, this approach provides interesting perspectives in the prevention and management of adolescents presenting depression.