ABSTRACT
Understanding the etiology of depression is one of the most important goals of depression researchers. Ingram (2001) went so far as to assert that “the future of depression research is back,” a reference to the importance of investigating characteristics and experiences of childhood as possible causes and contributors to the later development of depression. Prospective longitudinal studies that assess hypothesized childhood precursors of depression are critical for answering some of the most pressing questions about the origins of depression. In the late 1990s and into the 2000s, the number of such studies increased dramatically. Most of these studies focused on contributions of family factors to the origins of depression (cf., Goodman & Gotlib, 1999). This is an important area of study, but relationships outside the family—particularly children's relationships with peers—also contribute to children's risk for later psychopath-ology (Parker & Asher, 1987). This chapter focuses on children's peer acceptance and risk for depression.
