Cognitive Vulnerability to Depressed Affect in Dependent and Self-Critical College Women

The cognitive model of depression postulates that maladaptive attitudes are a vulnerability factor for depressive episodes. Personality approaches have also demonstrated that dependent and self-critical women are at greater risk for depressive affective states, particularly when faced with certain classes of events (Zuroff 6k Mongrain, 1987). It was hypothesized that dysfunctional attitudes may be an important component of dependent and self-critical individuals vulnerabilities. Moreover, specific themes were expected to be related to each personality dimension. Items from the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS) that were judged to represent pertinent dysfunctional cognitions for each personality dimension were included in two subscales, the Anaclitic Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale and Introjective Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (ADAS and IDAS). A measure of appraisal of hypothetical life events was administered to assess the level of perceived stress associated with interpersonal and achievement-related events. Dependent (N = 13), self-critical [N = 15), mixed (N = 18), and control [N = 21) female college students were selected using the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire. Both personality variables were significantly related to higher total scores on the DAS. Dependency and Self-Criticism were independently related to the ADAS and IDAS, respectively. Dependency, ADAS, and the ADAS × IDAS interaction were related to the perception of interpersonal events as stressful. Self-Criticism and IDAS tended to be related to negative appraisal of achievement-related events.