Does the Hopelessness Theory Account for Sex Differences in Depressive Symptoms Among Young Adults?

Abstract

The present study examined whether the sex difference in depression could be accounted for within the framework of the hopelessness theory of depression. Specifically, we tested whether young adults' negative inferential styles mediated the sex difference in depressive symptoms or whether sex moderated the cognitive vulnerability-stress effects on depressive symptoms in a multiwave longitudinal study. In doing so, we examined the different forms of negative inferential styles separately (causes, consequences, self-characteristics, composite, weakest link). Results did not support the mediation hypothesis. In terms of the moderation hypothesis, we found significant sex 9 inferential style 9 stress interactions predicting depressive symptoms across the follow-up, with the vulnerability-stress effects significant for men but not women. Among women, negative inferential styles and life events were independent predictors of depressive symptoms. In these moderation analyses, each of the inferential styles exhibited similar predictive validity.

Stress-Reactive Rumination, Negative Cognitive Style, and Stressors in Relationship to Depressive Symptoms in Non-Clinical Youth

“…However, present findings show that the moderating role of age only appeared in boys (and thus depended on gender). These findings are partially consistent with studies supporting the cognitive vulnerability-stress model for boys only (Hankin et al 2001; Stone et al 2010). It is important to note that the prospective studies of Hankin et al and Stone et al were conducted with middle to late adolescents, whereas other studies that found support for the interaction only in girls examined younger samples (e.g., Abela and McGirr 2007).…”

Cognitive triad as mediator in the hopelessness model? a three‐wave longitudinal study

“…However, six of seven significant or marginally significant associations between parts of the inference style and the cognitive triad 4 weeks later are solely based on the female subsample. Although the sex differences are not consistent with Beck's cognitive theory (Beck, 1976, 1996) and the hopelessness model (Abramson et al, 1989), these results are consistent with previous empirical publications (Goldstein, 2006; Stone et al, 2010). Both studies found consistent associations between inference styles and depressive symptoms in female samples but not in male samples.…”

“…Research has indicated that women are about twice as likely to develop depression as men (Angst et al, 2002). However, while differences in cognitive variables between the sexes has been well studied (see for a review Nolen‐Hoeksema, 2006), there are only a few studies about possible differences in the associations between cognitive variables as proposed by Beck's cognitive theory Beck (1976, 1996) or the hopelessness model (Abramson et al, 1989) and depressive symptoms (Goldstein, 2006; Stone, Gibb, & Coles, 2010). Although neither of the two cognitive theories studied here predict sex differences in the associations between cognitive variables and depressive symptoms, both studies found that the association between stable and global attribution of negative events and depressive symptoms was significant in women but not in men.…”

A Causal Model of Hopelessness Depression in Chinese Undergraduate Students

“…In the causal mediation component it is posited that hopelessness mediates between the diathesis-stress component and hopelessness depression symptoms in the etiological chain. Available evidence is inconsistent, with some researchers providing full or partial support for this hypothesis (e.g.. Hong, Gwee, & Karia, 2006) and others showing no support (e.g., Abela, 2001;Stone, Gibb, & Coles, 2010) Although much is known about the diathesis-stress component, only a few studies of the hopelessness theory have been carried out with undergraduate samples in China (e.g., Wang & Zhang, 2006;Xin, Ma, & Geng, 2006). Despite the strengths of these Chinese studies, Gibb and colleagues (2006) found some common limitations.…”