Premium
Relationship between hope and depression in college students: A cross‐lagged regression analysis
Author(s) -
li Zhihua,
Wang Yi,
Mao Xinjie,
Yin Xiayun
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
personality and mental health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.193
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 1932-863X
pISSN - 1932-8621
DOI - 10.1002/pmh.1412
Subject(s) - psychology , depression (economics) , agency (philosophy) , psychological intervention , scale (ratio) , clinical psychology , regression analysis , center for epidemiologic studies depression scale , social psychology , developmental psychology , psychiatry , cognition , depressive symptoms , social science , sociology , physics , quantum mechanics , machine learning , computer science , economics , macroeconomics
Abstract Objective This study aimed to examine the relationship between depression and two dimensions of hope (pathways thinking and agency thinking) in college students and explore the dynamics of the causal relationship between these variables. Methods A longitudinal study was conducted and included 381 college students. Hope and depression were measured using Snyder's State Hope Scale and the Center for Epidemiological Survey Depression Scale respectively, four times within a year (at 4‐month intervals), and cross‐lagged regression analysis was performed. Results The bidirectional paths between pathways thinking and depression were highly significant. The paths from agency thinking to depression were non‐significant, but the paths from depression to agency thinking were significant. Conclusion There was a significant bidirectional relationship between pathways thinking and depression. In addition, depression levels predicted levels of agency thinking, but levels of agency thinking did not predict depression levels. Therefore, interventions for depression should include strategies that assist individuals in the use of pathways thinking to establish specific routes via which to achieve their goals. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.