Dysfunctional attitudes and episodes of major depression: Predictive validity and temporal stability in never-depressed, depressed, and recovered women.
In a large, community-based sample of women (N = 750), the authors examined the nature of associations between dysfunctional attitudes and depression. Dysfunctional attitudes were evaluated both as a vulnerability factor for depression and as a consequence of depression. A link was found between past depression and baseline elevations in dysfunctional attitudes that was independent of current subsyndromal symptoms, but intensification of dysfunctional attitudes following prospectively evaluated episodes of depression (depressive "scarring") was not observed. Although baseline dysfunctional attitudes predicted an episode of major depression over 3 years of prospective study, this prediction, considered alone or in interaction with negative life events, was redundant with that offered by history of past depression. Further, no significant prediction was evident for the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (A. N. Weissman & A. T. Beck, 1978) when the formerly depressed and never-depressed cohorts were considered separately. Implications for cognitive theories are discussed.
Otto
Michael W
MW
Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, Boston University, MA 02215, USA. mwotto@bu.edu
Teachman
Bethany A
BA
Cohen
Lee S
LS
Soares
Claudio N
CN
Vitonis
Allison F
AF
Harlow
Bernard L
BL
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors