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Hopelessness predicts future depressive symptoms: A prospective analysis of cognitive vulnerability and cognitive content specificity
Author(s) -
Alford Brad A.,
Lester Janine M.,
Patel Rita J.,
Buchanan James P.,
Giunta Lucia C.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4679(199505)51:3<331::aid-jclp2270510303>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - psychology , beck depression inventory , anxiety , cognition , beck hopelessness scale , clinical psychology , stressor , cognitive vulnerability , beck anxiety inventory , depression (economics) , depressive symptoms , psychiatry , economics , macroeconomics
Beck's content specificity hypothesis predicts distinct cognitive content within specific psychological disorders. We evaluated whether the third component of the “cognitive triad,” negative view of the future (hopelessness), would be related 4 weeks later to depressive symptoms, but not to anxiety. University student participants (83 females, 71 males) were tested on the Beck Depression Inventory and the Beck Anxiety Inventory at two points in time, separated by 4 weeks. The Hopelessness Scale was administered at time 1 and a Life Events Inventory at time 2. Concurrent cognitive content specificity was replicated. For males only, hopelessness predicted future depression severity scores, but not anxiety. Hopelessness predicted depressive symptoms over and above life event stressors, but not vice versa.