THE QUALITY OF DEPRESSION AMONG NURSING HOME ELDERLY.
Contributors: Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 123
Subjects: Psychology, Clinical.; Gerontology.
Description: This project investigated depression among elderly people residing in nursing homes. Seventy-two participants scoring in the depressed range on the Beck Depression Inventory were administered the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire and the internal/external dimension of the Attribution Questionnaire. Three groups of depressed elderly were expected to emerge: a groups that possesses global, distorted cognitions and makes internal attributions for stressful events, a group that makes internal attributions for stress but not global, distorted cognitions, a group that uses distorted cognitions and external attributions for stress. These 3 groups were obtained from the sample. A fourth group using external attributions and dysfunctional self statements emerged unexpectedly. Differences in chronicity of depression, level of objective stress, self esteem, and coping were expected between these groups but were not found. Instead, differences between groups making internal versus external attributions were significant; differences between those using distorted rather than rational self statements were also meaningful. Most of the sample reported external attributions for stressful events with only 11 participants reporting internal attributions. The usefulness of the original learned helplessness model, rather than the reformulated attribution theory, is discussed. The idea that attribution and distorted thoughts are independent dimensions is discussed. The research found that depressed people who use distorted self statements reported lower self esteem and less effective coping strategies compared with those who do not possess such cognitive content. Depressed individuals who make internal attributions for failure were found to experience a higher level of stress and use more problem solving coping strategies compared with those making external attributions. Diagnosis and treatment of depressed elderly is addressed with reference to research results.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-03, Section: B, page: 0884.

Thesis (PH.D.)--FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON UNIVERSITY, 1987.

School code: 0287.