From these longitudinal data analyses with three time assessments, it was concluded that three out of a large list of psychosocial variables showed some causal effects: namely, self-esteem, maternal rejection, and internalizing problems. The findings point to bidirectional interactions between self-esteem, self-reported maternal rejection, and internalizing problems on the one hand and depression on the other hand from preadolescence to young adulthood. Depressive symptoms and disorders are quite common in adolescence. Various studies have been conducted and have addressed the issue of psychosocial correlates and risk factors of adolescent depression. This study analyzed the course of three groups of subjects who had been defined by high scores of self-reported depressive symptoms at a mean age of 13 years (preadolescence), 16 years (late adolescence), and 20 years (young adulthood). This identification of three groups of subjects scoring high for depression each at a single time, at the mean age of 13, 16, and 20 years, allowed for the testing of the causal relevance of various psychosocial variables. The study tested the hypothesis of whether or not these cross-sectionally identified moderating psychosocial variables had a causal impact on depressive symptoms. Tables, figures and references