Interpersonal problem-solving in depressed students

Abstract

This study investigated whether depressed students suffer from a deficit in interpersonal problem‐solving and attempted to specify the hypothesized deficit using a qualitative analysis of problem‐solving strategies. Twenty depressed students were compared with 20 nondepressed controls with respect to the strategies they developed on a Situation Specific Problem‐Solving Inventory. Results supported the hypothesis of a problem‐solving deficit in depressed students. Although depressed students seemed to have an adequate definition of the problem and the target, they showed a significant lack of action‐oriented strategies.

The stability and prediction of depressive mood states in college students

“…Empirical investigations have supported the hypothesized relationship between dysfunctional attitudes and depression (Eaves & Rush, 1984;Wong & Whitaker, 1993), the interaction of dysfunctional attitudes with stressful life events in accounting for the variance in depressive symptoms (Olinger, Kuiper, & Shaw, 1987;Wise & Barnes, 1986), and the prediction of subsequent symptoms from dysfunctional cognitions (Rush, Weissenburger, & Eaves, 1986;Zuroff, Igreja, & Mongrain, 1990). However, other factors also have been associated with increased depressed mood states in college students, including problem-solving deficits, low self-esteem, and freshman status (Marx & Schulze, 1991;Wong & Whitaker, 1993), although these, too, have been correlated positively with higher levels of dysfunctional cognitions (Wong & Whitaker, 1993).…”

Depressive mood states and their cognitive and personality correlates in college students: They improve over time

“…The results supported the literature that links dysphoria to dysfunctional attitudes and self-esteem problems (e.g., Zuroff et al, 1990), but, contrary to expectations (e.g., Marx & Schulze, 1991;McDaniel & Richards, 1990), no relationship was found between depressed mood and gender or selfreported problem-solving ability. The lack of significant relationship with the latter may have been due in part to the nature of the instrument used to measure problem-solving in this study.…”

Preliminary study on the role of alternative educational pathways in promoting the use of problem-focused coping strategies

“…Even though dispositional instruments measuring coping styles have been proved to show test-retest reliability (Rolland, 1998), this finding suggests that, with a small sample (130 subjects), some situational characteristics might influence testing -state anxiety in our research being related to coping styles reports rather than trait anxiety. These results confirm other research studies having underlined the impact of anxiety on the use of coping strategies which are more emotion-oriented or avoidant (Billings & Moos, 1985;Cheng, 2001;Endler & Parker, 1990b;Marx & Schulze, 1991).…”

“…However, these psychological characteristics have also been proved to affect coping styles (Billings & Moos, 1985;Cheng, 2001;Endler & Parker, 1990b;Marx & Schulze, 1991). The results of the studies show that anxiety and depression symptoms are negatively correlated to the use of problem-focused copings strategies.…”