{"id":{"repo_id":"cambridge","oai_identifier":"oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/344434"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cambridge/oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/344434","repository":{"repo_id":"cambridge","name":"Cambridge University","base_url":"https://api.repository.cam.ac.uk/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Exploring socio-affective mental health risk factors in adolescence","abstract":"The overarching aim of the work reported in this thesis is to build on the current research investigating the psychological and social processes in mental health disorders; in particular the socio-cognitive affective processing in depression across the lifespan. Depression risk is prevalent amongst adolescents, and there has been considerable research interest focusing on building a clear profile of the mechanisms of depression based on adult models. Here, I address these mechanisms and also integrate evolutionary principles to help better understand why depression may have evolved as an adaptive process involving elevated sensitivity to socially threatening information, negative self-referential processing biases, and behaviours associated with mitigating low social-rank status. Chapter 1 introduces the reader to depression and current theoretical frameworks relevant to social processing. Depression risk is then discussed, with a particular focus on adolescence as a sensitive period for both social development and depression vulnerability. Chapter 2 investigates how sensitivity to affectively-laden social information can impact the cognitive systems needed for everyday functioning, with a focus on cognitive control. Chapter 3 focuses on negative biases in the construction of the social self in adolescents at risk versus lower risk of developing depression. Chapter 4 takes a data-driven approach to investigate the relational social values that are important for social inclusivity. Then, further analysis looks at how these social values change as a function of age and mood. Chapter 5 investigates how hierarchical social information might influence memory, using a fully mature cognitive system (i.e. non-depressed adults). Finally, Chapter 6 integrates the evidence from Chapters 2-5 and provides a general discussion about the social processes in adolescents at risk of developing depression.","abstract_html":"The overarching aim of the work reported in this thesis is to build on the current research investigating the psychological and social processes in mental health disorders; in particular the socio-cognitive affective processing in depression across the lifespan. Depression risk is prevalent amongst adolescents, and there has been considerable research interest focusing on building a clear profile of the mechanisms of depression based on adult models. Here, I address these mechanisms and also integrate evolutionary principles to help better understand why depression may have evolved as an adaptive process involving elevated sensitivity to socially threatening information, negative self-referential processing biases, and behaviours associated with mitigating low social-rank status. Chapter 1 introduces the reader to depression and current theoretical frameworks relevant to social processing. Depression risk is then discussed, with a particular focus on adolescence as a sensitive period for both social development and depression vulnerability. Chapter 2 investigates how sensitivity to affectively-laden social information can impact the cognitive systems needed for everyday functioning, with a focus on cognitive control. Chapter 3 focuses on negative biases in the construction of the social self in adolescents at risk versus lower risk of developing depression. Chapter 4 takes a data-driven approach to investigate the relational social values that are important for social inclusivity. Then, further analysis looks at how these social values change as a function of age and mood. Chapter 5 investigates how hierarchical social information might influence memory, using a fully mature cognitive system (i.e. non-depressed adults). Finally, Chapter 6 integrates the evidence from Chapters 2-5 and provides a general discussion about the social processes in adolescents at risk of developing depression.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Griffiths, Kirsty"],"institution":"University of Cambridge","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Doctoral","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Dalgleish, Tim","Stretton, Jason"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2022,"date_issued":"2022-08-01","date_published":"2022-08-01","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:54Z","subjects":["adolescence","depression","mental health","social cognition","social rank"],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":["https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:creator.authoridentifier","label":"Author Identifier","values":["0000000171582683"],"render_values":[{"text":"0000-0001-7158-2683","href":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7158-2683","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.91856","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.doi"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Dalgleish, Tim","Stretton, Jason"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Griffiths, Kirsty"]},{"key":"dc:creator.authoridentifier","label":"Author Identifier","values":["0000000171582683"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2022-08-01"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cambridge"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby.uri","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby URI","values":["https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/344434"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["adolescence","depression","mental health","social cognition","social rank"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.doi","label":"DOI","values":["10.17863/CAM.91856"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/d56c54ba-a975-49c9-b2b8-3213e9269814/download"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The overarching aim of the work reported in this thesis is to build on the current research investigating the psychological and social processes in mental health disorders; in particular the socio-cognitive affective processing in depression across the lifespan. Depression risk is prevalent amongst adolescents, and there has been considerable research interest focusing on building a clear profile of the mechanisms of depression based on adult models. Here, I address these mechanisms and also integrate evolutionary principles to help better understand why depression may have evolved as an adaptive process involving elevated sensitivity to socially threatening information, negative self-referential processing biases, and behaviours associated with mitigating low social-rank status. Chapter 1 introduces the reader to depression and current theoretical frameworks relevant to social processing. Depression risk is then discussed, with a particular focus on adolescence as a sensitive period for both social development and depression vulnerability. Chapter 2 investigates how sensitivity to affectively-laden social information can impact the cognitive systems needed for everyday functioning, with a focus on cognitive control. Chapter 3 focuses on negative biases in the construction of the social self in adolescents at risk versus lower risk of developing depression. Chapter 4 takes a data-driven approach to investigate the relational social values that are important for social inclusivity. Then, further analysis looks at how these social values change as a function of age and mood. Chapter 5 investigates how hierarchical social information might influence memory, using a fully mature cognitive system (i.e. non-depressed adults). 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Chapter 3 focuses on negative biases in the construction of the social self in adolescents at risk versus lower risk of developing depression. Chapter 4 takes a data-driven approach to investigate the relational social values that are important for social inclusivity. Then, further analysis looks at how these social values change as a function of age and mood. Chapter 5 investigates how hierarchical social information might influence memory, using a fully mature cognitive system (i.e. non-depressed adults). 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