Attribution style of patients with depression

The role of attribution in psychopathology has been investigated most systematically within the depression context. The presumption which makes people depressive consists, to an excessive degree, of internal, stable and global attributions to negative occurrences. Negative attributions for unpleasant events are associated with the loss of self-respect which follows. OBJECTIVE Establishing the characteristics of attribution style of depressive patients.

The investigation included 62 subjects. The first group consisted of 32 patients with endogenous depression in remission. The second group included 30 healthy subjects. The characteristics of attribution style, in both groups, were tested by the Attribution Style Questionnaire (ASQ).

The group of depressive patients, in comparison with healthy subjects, exhibited a significantly more marked internal attribution for negative events (t(60) = -3.700; p < 0.01) and global internal negative attributions (t(60)= -4.023; p < 0.01). There was no significant difference between the groups in the stability of these negative attributions (t(60)= -1.937; p > 0.05), and also the composite score which represents the measure of hopelessness did not make a significant difference between depressive and healthy subjects (t(60)= -1.810; p > 0.05).

Depressive patients exhibit an inclination towards internal and global attribution for negative events. These negative attributions do not have stable character, i.e. these attributions vary in time. Characteristics of attribution judgments of depressive people do not represent a permanent pattern within their cognitive style.