Forgiving adolescents: Anger, Hedonic Balance and Depression

Aim: The present study examined the role played by forgivingness (or the disposition to forgive) in contrasting depressive tendencies and in improving positive affect, and the mediational role of anger, using cross-sectional data. Methods: Participants were 773 middle and high school students (69% females and 31% males), with a mean age of 15.6 years (SD = 2.00). The measures included were: Trait Forgivingness Scale (Berry, Worthington, O’Connor, Parrot & Wade, 2005), State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 Child and Adolescent (Brunner, & Spielberger, 2009), PANAS (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988) and Children Depression Inventory (Kovacs, 1992). A structural equation modelling and mediational analysis (M-PLUS) were used to test the hypothesised model. Results: As showed in fig.1, forgivingness significantly and negatively predicted the Trait-Anger and Expression Anger-Out, while significantly and positively predicted the Expression Anger-In and Anger Control. In addition, two different mechanisms emerged leading to depression and hedonic balance through anger. Particularly, Trait-Anger predicted negatively Hedonic Balance (HD) and positively Depression; while Anger Control predicted positively HD and negatively Depression. Moreover, Expression Anger-Out seems to be helpful in decreasing Depression, but it has no effect on HD; Expression Anger-In negatively influences HD but not Depression. This model fits well with the data: χ2(2) = 5.18, p =.00, CFI = .997, TLI = .969, RMSEA = .045 (90% CI = .000 ─ .095), AIC = 29859.797 Conclusions: this study highlights the role of forgivingness as a partly unexplored mechanism contrasting depressive tendencies and improving positive affects in adolescents, through the mediating role of anger regulation.