Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T10:06:39.540Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Multiple Skill Deficits in Depression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 October 2014

Elaine M. Heiby
Elaine M. Heiby*
Affiliation:
University of Hawaii
*
Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
Get access

Abstract

This study involves the description of the presence or absence of several theoretically relevant skill deficits in 35 cases of depression. Until recently, most research and theory about depression has been based on the assumption that this is a homogeneous disorder with one determinant common to all incidences. Theories proposed by Beck (1967), Lewinsohn (1974), Seligman (Abramson, Seligman & Teasdale, 1978), and Rehm (1977) are examples of unitary theories. It is argued that a comprehensive account of depression must involve a multivariate theory such as that proposed by Staats and Heiby (1985). The case study involves a preliminary uncontrolled test of the hypothesis that there exist several skills deficits that may determine depression. The findings suggest support for the possibility that the following skill deficits deserve further investigation for their role in depression aetiology and treatment: logical errors including misattributions, poor self-control skills, poor social skills in terms of excessive aggression and deficit assertiveness, and inadequate hedonic capacity in terms of deficit positive interests and excessive negative interests (anhedonia). Suggestions for future research are offered.

Type
Research Article
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 6 , Issue 2 , June 1989 , pp. 76 - 84
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Abramson, L.Y., Seligman, M.E.P. & Teasdale, J.D. (1978). Learned helplessness in humans: Critique and reformulation. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 87, 49–74.Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association. (1987). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (3rd. Ed. Revised). Washington, D.C.: Author.Google Scholar
Beck, A.T. (1967). Depression: Clinical, experimental, and theoretical aspects. New York: Hoeber.Google Scholar
Beck, A.T., Rush, A.J., Shaw, B.F. & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Bellack, A.S., Hersen, M. & Himmelhoch, J.M. (1980). Social skills training for depression: A treatment manual. JSAS Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology, 10, 92.Google Scholar
Bumberry, W., Oliver, J. & McClure, J. (1978). Validation of the Beck Depression Inventory in a university population using psychiatric estimate as the criterion. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46, 150–155.Google Scholar
Craighead, W.E. (1980). Away from a unitary model of depression Behavior Therapy, 11, 122–128.Google Scholar
Craighead, W.E. (1987, 08). Biological and cognitive bases of depression. Paper presented at the 95th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, New York.Google Scholar
Endicott, J. & Spitzer, R.L. (1978). A diagnostic interview: The schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia. Archives of General Psychiatry, 35, 837–834.Google Scholar
Fuchs, C. & Rehm, L. (1977). A self-control behavior therapy program for depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 45, 206–215.Google Scholar
Goldfried, M.R. & Davison, G.C. (1976). Clinical behavior therapy. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.Google Scholar
Gotlib, I.H. & Asarnow, R.F. (1979). Interpersonal and impersonal problem-solving skills in mildly and clinically depressed university students. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 47, 86–95.Google Scholar
Heiby, E.M. (1982). A self-reinforcement questionnaire. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 20, 397–401.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heiby, E.M. (1983). Assessment of frequency of self-reinforcement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 1304–1307.Google Scholar
Heiby, E.M. (1986). Social versus self-control skills deficits in four cases of depression. Behavior Therapy, 17, 158–169.Google Scholar
Heiby, E.M., Campos, P., Remick, R. & Keller, F. (1987). Dexamethasone suppression and self-reinforcement correlates of clinical depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 96, 70–72.Google Scholar
Heiby, E.M. & Staats, A.W. (in press). Depression and its classification. In Evans, I. and Eifert, G. (Eds.), Paradigmatic behavior therapy: Critical perspectives on applied social behaviorism. New York: Springer.Google Scholar
Hirschfield, R.M. & Cross, C.K. (1982). Epidemiology of affective disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry, 39, 35–46.Google Scholar
Lewinsohn, P.M. (1974). A behavioral approach to depression. In Friedman, R. & Katz, M. (Eds.) The psychology of depression: Contemporary theory and research. New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Lewinsohn, P.M., Hoberman, H., Ten, L. & Haut-zinger, M. (1985). An integrative theory of depression. In Reiss, S. & Bootzin, R. (Eds.), Theoretical issues in behaviour therapy. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Lewinsohn, P.M., Mermelstein, R.M., Alexander, C. & MacPhillamy, D.J. (1983). The unpleasant events schedule: A scale for the measurement of aversive events. Eugene: University of Oregon.Google Scholar
MacPhillamy, D. & Lewinsohn, P. (1976). Manual for the pleasant events schedule. Eugene: University of Oregon (mimeo).Google Scholar
McKnight, D.L., Nelson, R.O., Hayes, S.C. & Jarrett, R.B. (1984). Importance of treating individually assessed response classes in the amelioration of depression. Behavior Therapy, 15, 315–335.Google Scholar
Mauger, P.A. & Adkinson, D.R. (1980). Interpersonal behavior survey. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.Google Scholar
Meehl, P.E. (1975). Hedonic capacity: Some conjectures. Bulletin of the Menniger Clinic, 39, 295–307.Google Scholar
Rado, S. (1965). Psychoanalysis of behavior: Collected papers. New York: Grane & Stratton.Google Scholar
Rehm, L.P. (1977). A self-control model of depression. Behavior Therapy, 8, 787–804.Google Scholar
Rose, G.D. & Staats, A.W. (in press). Depression and the frequency and strength of pleasant events: Exploration of the Staats-Heiby theory. Behaviour Research and Therapy.Google Scholar
Sacco, W. (1981). Invalid use of the BDI to identify depressed college student subjects: A methodological comment. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 5, 143–147.Google Scholar
Secunda, R., Friedman, R.J. & Schuyler, D. (1973). Special Report, 1973: The Depressive Disorders. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, DHEW Publications No. HSM 73-9125.Google Scholar
Seligman, M.E.P. (1975). Helplessness: On depression, development, and death. San Francisco: Freeman.Google Scholar
Spitzer, R.L., Endicott, J. & Robins, E. (1978). Research diagnostic criteria: Rationale and reliability. Archives of General Psychiatry, 35, 773–782.Google Scholar
Staats, A.W. (1968). Social behaviorism and human motivation: Principles of the attitude-reinforcer-discriminative system. In Green-wald, A.G., Brock, T.C., & Ostrom, T.M. (Eds.). Psychological foundations of attitudes. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Staats, A.W. (1975). Social behaviorism. Home-wood, Ill.: Dorsey Press.Google Scholar
Staats, A.W. & Heiby, E.M. (1985). Paradigmatic behaviorism's theory of depression: Unified, explanatory and heuristic. In Reiss, S. & Bootzin, R. (Eds.) Theoretical issues in behavior therapy. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Weissman, A. (1980). Assessing depressogenic attitudes: a validation study. Paper presented at the 51st annual meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, Hartford, Ct., 1980.Google Scholar