Researchers and theorists have suggested that two personality styles may serve as pathways for the development of depression. One personality style, sociotropy, involves intense needs for positive interchange with others, whereas the other style, autonomy, involves an excessive need for self-control and independence. These personality styles were investigated in the context of Coyne's (1976) interpersonal model of depression, which suggests that depressed persons are rejected by others. Research on this model has been equivocal, and it is possible that these two personality dimensions result in meaningful interpersonal differences within depressed persons. Depressed outpatients, (N=41) and non-depressed controls (N=41) were assessed on sociotropy and autonomy and then participated in a brief task in which a research assistant helped them plan adaptive life changes. These interactions were rated subjectively and utilizing behavioural coding. Results indicated that a combination of depression and autonomy were particularly likely to lead to rejection and less positive interpersonal behaviours. Sociotropy was related to perceptions of interpersonal deference, whereas depression was associated with self-orientation in the task. These results suggest that both depression and personality impact rejection and interpersonal behaviours in social interactions. Overall, this study represents a significant step toward greater specificity in the interpersonal model of depression, and clinical implications of these findings are described. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

D.Litt. et Phil. / Within the South African context there seems to be no workable manual-based therapy programme for the treatment of Unipolar Major depression. The need for a workable solution is steadily increasing. This was the aim of this study; to develop a manual driven therapy programme for the treatment of Unipolar Major Depression which is a short term intervention influenced by the Cognitive Behaviourial model, with the inclusion of exercise therapy. The Cognitive Behaviourial model addresses the persons negative cognitions in a structured manner, within the framework of short term therapy. The person is encouraged to become actively involved: helplessness, worthlessness, and powerlessness, among others, are addressed. The approach towards the General Therapy Programme has partly a behaviourial component and partly a cognitive component (Williams, 1992). Past research (Kaplan, Saddock & Grebb, 1994) shows highly successful results achieved by Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Exercise therapy also addresses the physiological workings of the depressed person (Johnsgard, 1989). Short term therapy is an immediate intervention which lays claim to a higher level of therapeutic activities, along with the identification of a clear focus and the creation of time limitation. There were 34 participants, selected randomly from a population of 85 patients, at TARA, the H. Moross centrum, general practitioners and psychiatrists. Only outpatients were used. The measuring instruments used in this study, were the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Millon's Clinical Multiaxial Inventory II, and the Nowlis Mood Adjective Checklist. The participants were randomly divided into an experimental and control group. The experimental group was subject to a short term Cognitive Behaviourial Intervention, consisting of eight therapy sessions with the goal of decreasing the intensity and occurrence of Unipolar Major Depression. The results of this study, shows an effective decrease in intensity and occurrence of Unipolar Major Depression after the intervention. The influence of the therapy programme on other personality indexes has also become apparent in this study. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy practised on a short term basis, was shown to be an effective intervention, but the impact of other therapeutic models cannot be ignored.

Health disparities exist between rural and urban areas but geographic comparisons of mental health are less studied and conclusive. Maternal depression has not been examined by region or rurality in the United States but might be influenced by geographic locations due to the variance of social support and healthcare available in some locations compared to others. The research focuses on (1) whether rurality increases a mother’s risk of experiencing depression and (2) if region impacts a mother’s risk of depression. I used the NESARC-III data that included three general depressive disorders: major depressive episode, major depressive disorder, and dysthymia. Regions are divided into the Northeast, Midwest, South, and the West. Rurality includes rural and urban locations. Certain demographic variables are included to control for variations by location. The research is a secondary analysis of the NESARC-III data so the research costs are limited. The statistical analysis uses step-wise logistic regression models. The study finds that mothers do not experience depressive disorders differently between regions or rural/urban locations. A check analyzing all females shows that living in the West increases a woman’s risk of experiencing both major depressive episodes and major depressive disorders. Variables explaining the most variation between having and not having a depressive disorder are the social support variables.

Bakgrund: Depression är ett ökande samhällsproblem bland ungdomar i världen. Ungdomsåren innebär en omvälvande förändring i ungdomars liv och har stor betydelse för deras utveckling av identitet och psykiska hälsa. Syfte: Beskriva ungdomars och unga vuxnas upplevelser av att ha en diagnostiserad depression. Metod. Åtta kvalitativa artiklar om ungdomars depressionsupplevelser valdes ut genom sökning via PsycINFO, CINAHL, PsycARTICLES, Academic Search Elite, Medline samt Scopus. Artiklarnas resultat analyserades enligt innehållsanalys med manifest tolkning och sammanställdes till två huvudkategorier samt sju underkategorier. Resultat: Resultatet har visat att ungdomar hade låga tankar om sig själv och kände sig annorlunda än sina jämnåriga. De upplevde att depressionen tog över deras liv, vilket påverkade deras förmåga att skapa och behålla relationer. En förutsättning för tillfrisknandet var att bli medveten om sin sjukdom, acceptera den som en del av sitt liv samt att det fanns stöd från närstående och vårdgivare. Slutsats: Ungdomars upplevelse av depression kunde variera beroende på var i depressionen de befann sig. Depressionen kunde innebära ett stort lidande för ungdomen. För att kunna ge omvårdnad på bästa sätt bör sjukvårdspersonal ha kunskap och förståelse för ungdomars utvecklingspsykologi samt depressionens påverkan på individen.

No description available.

Bakgrund: Idag räknas psykisk ohälsa som ett av de stora folkhälsoproblemen. Depression är en av de sjukdomar som räknas till psykisk ohälsa. Sjukdomen ökar runt om i världen och cirka 350 miljoner människor beräknas idag ha en depression. En persons upplevelser är unika och en depression kan därför hanteras på olika vis. Det är av stor vikt att sjuksköterskan har bred kunskap om olika personers upplevelser av sjukdomstillståndet för att kunna stödja och vägleda dem på bästa sätt. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva personers upplevelser av att leva med depression. Metod: Studien baserades på två patografier. En kvalitativ innehållsanalys av Graneheim och Lundman användes. Resultat: I resultatet framkom det sex kategorier; Att vara socialt isolerad, Att ha bristande självkänsla, Att förlora kontrollen, Att ha sömnsvårigheter, Att leva under behandling och Att finna strategier och stöd för att kämpa vidare i livet. Personerna upplevde sig ensamma och isolerade på grund av depressionerna. Ångest, oro och sömnbesvär var återkommande inslag i deras vardag.De upplevde att samtalsbehandling och medicinering lindrade deras besvär. Personerna fick kraft till att återhämta sig genom familj och vänner. Slutsats: Genom att sjuksköterskan tar del av en persons upplevelser av depression kan sjuksköterskan förstå och vägleda personen genom rätt behandling. För att personer med depression ska kunna känna tillit och förtroende till sjuksköterskan är det viktigt att visa dessa personer att det finns intresse och tid till att lyssna när de berättar om sina problem.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / abstract / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / abstract / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing