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The relationship between personality, social functioning, and depression: A structural equation modeling analysis
Author(s) -
Tse Wai S.,
Rochelle Tina L.,
Cheung Jacky C. K.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
international journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.75
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1464-066X
pISSN - 0020-7594
DOI - 10.1080/00207594.2011.554553
Subject(s) - psychology , structural equation modeling , personality , beck depression inventory , clinical psychology , harm avoidance , depression (economics) , developmental psychology , temperament , social psychology , psychiatry , anxiety , economics , macroeconomics , statistics , mathematics
The relationship between personality, social functioning, and depression remains unclear. The present study employs structural equation modeling to examine the mediating role of social functioning between harm avoidance (HA), self‐directedness (SD), and depression. A sample of 902 individuals completed a self‐report questionnaire consisting of the following scales: HA and SD subscales of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Social Adaptation Self‐Evaluation Scale (SASS). Structural equation modeling via analysis of moment structure was used to estimate the fit of nine related models. Results indicated that social functioning is a mediator between harm avoidance or self‐directness and depression. Self‐directedness was also shown to have direct effects on depression. The results support the social reinforcement theory of depression and provide a theoretical account of how the variables are related based on correlation methods. Suggestions are offered for future experimental and longitudinal research.