Feelings of hostility and personal control as related to depression

The relationships among depression, hostility, and locus of control were investigated in 58 clinic outpatients. Depth of depression was correlated positively with both covert hostility and external control, while external control correlated with covert hostility. Analysis of subscales on the hostility inventory indicated that overt forms of hostility were unrelated to depression, while the subscales of guilt, resentment, irritability, and suspicion were related positively (r = .50, p less than .005). Partial correlations suggested that the relationship between depression and external control may depend on the presence of resentment and irritability and that a combination of these covert factors with external control commonly is found in depression.