Purpose. The purpose of this dissertation research study was to investigate the associations among learned helplessness, depressive symptoms, and targeted demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors in individuals who experienced a recent acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
Method. Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, a convenience sample (N=75) was recruited from cardiology clinics in the middle Tennessee region. Standardized instruments and measures were used to evaluate all study variables.
Results. A statistically significant, direct relationship was found between learned helplessness and depressive symptoms, suggesting that individuals who had higher self-reported levels of learned helplessness also reported more depressive symptoms. No statistically significant associations were observed among the number of AMI events, the number of co-morbidities, learned helplessness, and depressive symptoms. Statistically significant, inverse associations were identified among social support, self-efficacy, learned helplessness, and depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that individuals who reported higher levels of social support and self-efficacy experienced less learned helplessness and less depressive symptoms.
Univariate associations also suggested younger individuals and those with a lower estimated yearly household income reported more depressive symptoms following an AMI. Additionally, individuals who identified themselves as either unemployed or disabled exhibited more depressive symptoms.
Hierarchical regression analysis was performed to evaluate the multivariate associations among all study variables. After controlling for the influence of other study variable, learned helplessness continued to significantly contribute to the occurrence of depressive symptoms in individuals following AMI.
Conclusion. These results indicate learned helplessness is uniquely associated with depressive symptoms in individuals following an AMI. Additional research in needed to determine the potential longitudinal impact of learned helplessness on depressive symptoms, morbidity, and mortality in this population.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VANDERBILT/oai:VANDERBILTETD:etd-03152011-210853 |
| Date | 18 March 2011 |
| Creators | Smallheer, Benjamin Allan |
| Contributors | Mary Dietrich, Larry Lancaster, Michael Vollman, Rob Hood, Lorraine Mion |
| Publisher | VANDERBILT |
| Source Sets | Vanderbilt University Theses |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.vanderbilt.edu/available/etd-03152011-210853/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to Vanderbilt University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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