To test Coyne's (1976b) theory of depression, students' levels of depressive symptoms, reassurance seeking, and self-esteem were assessed at Time 1, and their same-gender roommates' appraisals of them were assessed 5 weeks later. Mildly depressed students engaged in the type of reassurance seeking described by Coyne. Among men, but not women, mildly depressed students were rejected if they strongly sought reassurance and had low self-esteem but not if they did not seek reassurance or had high self-esteem. Although induction of depressed symptoms in roommates did occur, this contagion effect did not account for the depression-rejection relationship. The prediction that unsupportive, intolerant, or unempathic others would be particularly likely to respond with rejection to reassurance-seeking depressed students with low self-esteem received partial support. Implications for future work on the interpersonal aspects of depression are discussed.

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Following mild head injury, a subgroup of individuals exhibit a constellation of chronic symptoms, a condition Alexander (1995) labeled Persistent Post-Concussive Syndrome (PPCS). He implicated neurological factors in the initial phase of the syndrome but psychological factors in the maintenance of symptoms. However, it is unclear as to whether an initial mild head injury is necessary or sufficient to cause the symptoms of PPCS. We first outline a study design comparing a mild closed-head injury group to both a normal and an other injury control group to answer this question. Next, we review the literature since 1960 to determine the findings of any studies using this design. The results of the literature review indicate that few such studies exist. To date, those that have been done suggest that there is no strong evidence for a specific effect for mild head injury on cognitive functioning. We discuss directions for future research given these findings.

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Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), patients often report memory difficulties, as well as reduced information processing speed. However, it remains unclear the extent to which these deficits contribute to functional impairment. In the present study, we compared the relative contribution of verbal memory and information processing speed to functional impairment at 12-month post-injury, in 87 patients with moderate-to-severe TBI. Employing structural equation modeling, we found that information processing speed, but not verbal memory functions, significantly mediated the relationship between TBI severity and post-TBI adaptive functioning. These findings suggest that despite the pervasive memory complaints among patients with TBI, it is the impact of neurotrauma on frontal systems that appears to be primarily responsible for patients' difficulties in social and occupational functioning.