Interpersonal concomitants and antecedents of depression among college students.

Abstract

Depressed college students were compared with other-psychopathology and normal controls regarding the relationship they developed with dormitory roommates during a 9-month period. Diagnostic status was periodically assessed via SADS interviews, thus also permitting identification of new cases of depression during the year. Psychosocial characteristics found to be uniquely associated with current depression were: (a) low social contact with roommates, (b) low enjoyability of these contacts, and (c) high life-event stress. Roommates of depressives reported low enjoyability of the relationship and high levels of aggressive behavior towards the depressive. No features were found to be uniquely associated with new cases before they became depressed; however, several antecedents of general psychopathology were identified.

Preschool children at social risk: Chronicity and timing of maternal depressive symptoms and child behavior problems at school and at home

“…College students, for example, developed less positive evaluations and higher levels of aggression toward their new roommates over a 9-month period if the roommates were depressed (Hokanson, Rubert, Welker, Hollander, & Hedeen, 1989), and unacquainted persons conversing on the telephone with depressed patients became more negative in mood and rejecting in attitude in response to the conversations with depressed patients than in response to conversations with other patients or controls (Coyne, 1976). Current interpersonal theories of depression posit that depression may typically appear in a transactional relation with social skills deficits, with such deficits likely to increase the incidence of depression and with depressed mood likely to maintain or create impaired social skills (Coyne, 1976;Hokanson et al, 1989). In the current study, the mother's depressed mood and associated hostileintrusive parenting behavior, present from the first year of the infant's life, was associated with the infant's development of aggressive and rejecting behavior toward both mother and peers in the classroom.…”

Genetic influences on level and stability of self-esteem

“…Also, although a strong concurrent relation exists between low self-esteem level and depression (Tennen & Herzberger, 1987), this relation does not necessarily imply that low self-esteem constitutes a vulnerability factor for the onset of depression (Barnett & Gotlib, 1988). Indeed, the suggestion that self-esteem is lower in subsequently depressed (compared to normal) persons has received mixed support (Hokanson, Rubert, Welker, Hollander, & Hedeen, 1989;Lewinsohn, Steinmetz, Larson, & Franklin, 1981). Instead, selfesteem instability is a better predictor of depression proneness than level of selfesteem in the presence of stressful life events or daily hassles (Butler, Hokanson, & Flynn, 1994;Kernis et al, 1998).…”

Aloneness and loneliness – persons with severe mental illness and experiences of being alone

“…To suffer from SMI implies impaired social ability and thereby withdrawal from social contexts and situations. This impaired ability affects the possibility to create and to maintain social relationships (Bejerholm and Eklund 2004;Bengtsson-Tops 2001;Friedrich et al 1999;Hokanson et al 2004;Nyström, Dahlberg, and Segesten 2002). Descriptions of persons who are diagnosed with schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions, as well as psychiatric instruments for diagnoses, contain criteria such as difficulty expressing oneself, lack of social interest and no desire to communicate with others, inability to create close relationships, etc.…”

“…In studies where in-care patients are compared with 'normal populations', it emerges that the patients' social networks contain fewer contacts and are more likely to be family-dominated (Becker et al 1997;Bengtsson-Tops 2001;Hokanson et al 2004;Pinfold 2000;Tolsdorf 1976). There is, however, research that shows a more varied social situation: even persons with SMI can have a social life that includes reciprocal relationships outside the family (Andersson 2009;Pickens 2003).…”