Problem-solving orientation and attributional style as predictors of depressive symptoms in Egyptian adolescents with visual impairment

Introduction: Researchers have proposed several theories of depressive rumination. To compare among them, we conducted a joint factor analysis. Methods: An online sample (n = 498) completed four rumination questionnaires and the Beck Depression Inventory. We examined associations between emerging factors and depressive symptoms. Results: Most commonly, people ruminated about solving problems in their lives, followed by the causes or consequences of negative situations. They least commonly ruminated about their symptoms and sadness. Thoughts about symptoms and causes or consequences of negative situations uniquely related to depressive symptoms. There was a circular covariance relation between depressive symptoms, thoughts about causes or consequences, and problem-solving, suggesting that symptoms are regulated by a negative feedback loop involving problem-solving. This feedback was not present unless models included thoughts about causes or consequences, suggesting that these thoughts benefit problem-solving. Discussion: Depressive rumination may be a dynamic process involving various thoughts, with different combinations of thoughts having different consequences for depression.

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Explanatory Style and Academic Performance among College Students Beginning a Major Course of Study

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.2003.92.3.861 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 92 (3) ◽

pp. 861-865 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mary C. LaForge ◽

Stephen Cantrell

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Attributional Style ◽

Learned Helplessness ◽

Explanatory Style ◽

Grade Point Averages ◽

Cognitive Variable ◽

Grade Point ◽

Attributional Style Questionnaire ◽

Upper Level ◽

Pessimistic Explanatory Style

Explanatory style, a cognitive variable, reflects how people typically explain the causes of bad events involving themselves. Explanatory style emerged from the attributional reformulation of the learned helplessness and depression model as a way of explaining individual differences in response to uncontrollability. A central prediction of the reformulation is that people with habitual explanatory tendencies differ, and individuals with a pessimistic explanatory style will be more likely to exhibit depressive symptoms following bad events than individuals with an optimistic explanatory style. 116 upper-level undergraduates beginning a degree program at this university completed the Attributional Style Questionnaire. Scores were correlated with students' cumulative grade point averages and their total points earned in Consumer Behavior, the first course required in the Marketing major. Students with pessimistic explanatory style scores outperformed colleagues with optimistic explanatory style scores. Implications of these findings and possible explanations for why explanatory style did not correlate in the theoretically predicted way with academic achievement are considered.

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Session 12: Planning for the End of FB-IPT

Family-based Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Preadolescents ◽

10.1093/med-psych/9780190640033.003.0015 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 221-232

Author(s):

Laura J. Dietz

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Problem Solving ◽

Maintenance Therapy ◽

Interpersonal Skills ◽

Interpersonal Psychotherapy ◽

Outpatient Therapy ◽

Problem Solving Skills ◽

Termination Phase ◽

Family Based ◽

Made In

Chapter 15 of Family-based Interpersonal Psychotherapy (FB-IPT) for Depressed Preadolescents introduces the termination phase of treatment, in which the therapist prepares the preadolescent and parent for the completion of family-based interpersonal psychotherapy (FB-IPT). In Session 12, the therapist continues to support the preadolescent’s practice of interpersonal skills and begins to review with the preadolescent and the parent the progress the preadolescent has made in treatment. There is continued emphasis on the link between improvement in the preadolescent’s depressive symptoms and the preadolescent’s use of communication and problem-solving skills. With both the preadolescent and the parent, the therapist begins to talk about the process of terminating this course of FB-IPT and next steps for the preadolescent, which may be ending outpatient therapy, referral to a maintenance group or individual maintenance therapy, or more intensive treatment, depending on the preadolescent’s degree of improvement and severity of residual depressive symptoms.

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Emotion regulation in action: Use, selection, and success of emotion regulation in adolescents’ daily lives

International Journal of Behavioral Development ◽

10.1177/0165025418755540 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Hannah K. Lennarz ◽

Tom Hollenstein ◽

Anna Lichtwarck-Aschoff ◽

Emmanuel Kuntsche ◽

Isabela Granic

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Emotion Regulation ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Problem Solving ◽

Psychosocial Functioning ◽

Multilevel Models ◽

Negative Emotions ◽

Practical Importance ◽

Reciprocal Relationship ◽

Daily Lives

Successful emotion regulation (ER) is a central aspect of psychosocial functioning and mental health and is thought to improve and be refined in adolescence. Past research on ER has mainly focused on one-time measurements of habitual ER. Linking regulatory strategies to emotions in daily lives is key to understanding adolescents’ emotional lives. Using an Experience Sampling Method with 78 adolescents ( Mage = 13.91, SDage = .95, 66% girls), we investigated the use, selection, and success in down-regulating negative emotions of eight ER strategies across 44 assessments. Acceptance was the strategy employed most often followed by problem-solving, rumination, distraction, avoidance, reappraisal, social support, and suppression. Interestingly, negativity of the event influenced the use of ER strategies: With low intensity negative emotions, acceptance was more likely to be used, and with high intensity negative emotions, suppression, problem-solving, distraction, avoidance, social support, and rumination were more likely to be used. With regard to success, multilevel models revealed that problem-solving, reappraisal, and acceptance were more successful in down-regulating negative emotions than rumination. Further, among girls, no relations between the momentary use of ER strategies and depressive symptoms was found. Among boys, a negative relation between acceptance and depressive symptoms emerged. Results from this study suggest that there is a reciprocal relationship between the intensity of negative emotions and ER strategies and that gender differences may exist. Taken together, this study showed which ER strategies are used by a healthy adolescent sample, and these results are discussed with regard to their theoretical and practical importance.

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Coping strategies as mediator variables between explanatory styles and depressive symptoms

Anales de Psicología ◽

10.6018/analesps.31.2.173391 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 31 (2) ◽

pp. 447 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Pilar Sanjuan ◽

Alejandro Magallares

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Problem Solving ◽

Coping Strategies ◽

Indirect Effect ◽

Explanatory Style ◽

Cognitive Restructuring ◽

Positive Outcomes ◽

Path Analyses ◽

Positive Direct ◽

Explanatory Styles

<p>The main goal of this study was to analyze the relationships among explanatory styles, coping strategies and depressive symptoms. Path analyses conducted with data of 234 individuals showed that Negative Explanatory Style (tendency to explain negative outcomes through internal, stable, and global causes) had both a positive direct effect on depressive symptoms, and an indirect effect on them through the use of avoidant strategies. On the contrary, Enhancing Explanatory Style (tendency to explain positive outcomes through internal, stable, and global causes) had negative direct and indirect effects on these symptoms, but in this case, the indirect effect occurs through the use of problem solving and positive cognitive restructuring coping and the non-use of avoidant strategies. As a whole, the results suggest that to prevent the onset of depressive symptoms or to reduce them once they appear, enhancing explanatory style and problem solving and positive cognitive restructuring strategies should be promoted.</p>

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