Critically evaluate the role of childhood experiences in the development of
anxiety and depression.
Emotion and thought disorders particularly anxiety and depression amongst
the most common type of disorder to be diagnosed in children and adolescents
(Merikangas, 2009) and from data from the NHS and WHO they are seen to be on
the rise. Explanation for the development of such disorders varies covering areas of
the biological, environmental, and cognitive realms while also considering to how
childhood experiences can also play a role in the development in these disorders.
Childhood experience can be potentially held accountable as for playing a
role into the development in anxiety and depression especially when taking the
stages of cognitive development into account along with any stressful life events. In
the case of depression, it can be seen that if someone has experienced stressful life
events at childhood there is a high risk of that person developing depression. Monroe
and Cummins (2019) reported that 50-80% of diagnosed depressed individuals
reported a stressful event happening before their first depressive episode thus
showing that experiencing such at a young age can lead to the development of
depression. Furthermore, the development of depression has been directly linked to
the number of stressful events people are experiencing during childhood which
further cements the idea that a stressful childhood leads to depression development.
This is further supported by research from Hammen et al (2014) which pointed out
the significance of the timing that the stressful life event was to happen, their
research suggested that stressful life events happening in early stages of one’s life
e.g., childhood and early adolescence is where it affects most. These stressful life
events can lead to children also developing aspects of ‘learned helplessness’
(Seligman, 1975) and ‘negative attribution styles’ (Seligman and Teasdale, 1978)
which can also add to the development of depression.
anxiety and depression.
Emotion and thought disorders particularly anxiety and depression amongst
the most common type of disorder to be diagnosed in children and adolescents
(Merikangas, 2009) and from data from the NHS and WHO they are seen to be on
the rise. Explanation for the development of such disorders varies covering areas of
the biological, environmental, and cognitive realms while also considering to how
childhood experiences can also play a role in the development in these disorders.
Childhood experience can be potentially held accountable as for playing a
role into the development in anxiety and depression especially when taking the
stages of cognitive development into account along with any stressful life events. In
the case of depression, it can be seen that if someone has experienced stressful life
events at childhood there is a high risk of that person developing depression. Monroe
and Cummins (2019) reported that 50-80% of diagnosed depressed individuals
reported a stressful event happening before their first depressive episode thus
showing that experiencing such at a young age can lead to the development of
depression. Furthermore, the development of depression has been directly linked to
the number of stressful events people are experiencing during childhood which
further cements the idea that a stressful childhood leads to depression development.
This is further supported by research from Hammen et al (2014) which pointed out
the significance of the timing that the stressful life event was to happen, their
research suggested that stressful life events happening in early stages of one’s life
e.g., childhood and early adolescence is where it affects most. These stressful life
events can lead to children also developing aspects of ‘learned helplessness’
(Seligman, 1975) and ‘negative attribution styles’ (Seligman and Teasdale, 1978)
which can also add to the development of depression.
