Self-efficacy as a mediator between stressful life events and depressive symptoms. Differences based on history of prior depression.
BACKGROUND
Self-efficacy, a characteristic that is protective against depressive symptoms, may be undermined by stressful life events.


OBJECTIVE
To estimate the effects of stressful life events on self-efficacy, and to examine self-efficacy as a mediator of the effect of stressful life events on symptoms of depression.


METHODS
Using a sample of 2858 respondents from the longitudinal Americans' Changing Lives study, path analyses were used to evaluate interrelationships between self-efficacy, life events and symptoms of depression controlling for a variety of potentially confounding variables. Separate models were estimated for those with and without prior depression.


RESULTS
For those with prior depression, dependent life events had a significant, negative impact on self-efficacy. For those without prior depression, life events had no effect on self-efficacy.


CONCLUSIONS
For those with prior depression, self-efficacy mediates approximately 40% of the effect of dependent stressful life events on symptoms of depression.
Maciejewski
P K
PK
Donaghue Women's Health Investigator Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Prigerson
H G
HG
Mazure
C M
CM
D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020377:Self Efficacy