While there has been research on the integration of mental health and career counseling, there has been little that has looked at both areas in relation to depression and hopelessness. There is literature linking depression and dysfunctional career thinking (Saunders et al., 2000), and there is also literature linking depression and hopelessness to risk for suicide and suicidal behavior (Beck et al., 1990). This study investigated the relationship among dysfunctional career thinking, depression, and hopelessness. Participants included 147 undergraduate and graduate students seeking drop-in or individual career counseling services at a university career center. The Career Thoughts Inventory (CTI) was used to measure dysfunctional career thoughts, the Beck Depression Inventory - II (BDI-II) was used to measure depression, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) was used to measure hopelessness. Pearson correlations were utilized to determine correlations among the variables. One stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the amount of variance of depression that was accounted for by dysfunctional career thinking. A second stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the amount of variance of hopelessness that was accounted for by dysfunctional career thinking. Two aspects of dysfunctional career thinking, Decision-Making Confusion (DMC) and Commitment Anxiety (CA), were found to account for a significant amount of variance in depression. One aspect of dysfunctional career thinking, Decision-Making Confusion (DMC), was found to account for a significant amount of variance in hopelessness. The potential intervening variables of gender, age, and minority status failed to yield significant increases in variation for BDI-II scores and for BHS in both stepwise regression models. Additionally, a cut score for the BDI-II was used in regression equations to determine what T-scores on DMC and CA would predict that cut score. Similarly, a cut score for the BHS was used in a regression equation to determine what T-score on DMC would predict that cut score. Results of this study indicate that there is a positive relationship among all indicators of dysfunctional career thinking, depression, and hopelessness. Also, some aspects of dysfunctional career thinking can be used to predict depression and hopelessness in undergraduate and graduate students seeking career services. Findings suggest that using the CTI total score, CTI raw scores, and including other instruments in the prediction model may help improve the understanding of the relationship among dysfunctional career thoughts, depression, and hopelessness. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2012. / March 14, 2012. / Beck, Career counseling, Career Thoughts Inventory, Depression, Dysfunctional career thinking, Hopelessness / Includes bibliographical references. / Janet G. Lenz, Professor Directing Dissertation; Lenore M. McWey, University Representative; James P. Sampson, Jr., Committee Member; Georgios Lampropoulos, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_182831 |
| Contributors | Dieringer, Daniel Dean (authoraut), Lenz, Janet G. (professor directing dissertation), McWey, Lenore M. (university representative), Sampson, James P. (committee member), Lampropoulos, Georgios (committee member), Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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