Life Events And Risk Or Resilience To Hopelessness Depression

ObjectivesTo explore the relationship between life events and hopelessness depression based on the hopelessness theory of depression.(1) To examine the relationship between negative life events and hopelessness depression, and test operationalizing the cognitive vulnerability and cognitive vulnerability-stress model.(2) To examine positive life events and hopelessness depression, and test operationalizing the cognitive resilience and recovery model.(3) To explore the relationship between neutral life events and hopelessness, and explore the moderate effect of negative cognitive style, enhancing cognitive style, and mindfulness.MethodsA twelve-week longitudinal study was implemented on318college students who were measured three times in total. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Cognitive Style Questionnaire, the China College Student Psychological Stress Scale, the Hopelessness Depression Symptom Questionnaire, and the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised at the first time. Participants completed the China College Student Psychological Stress Scale and the Hopelessness Depression Symptom Questionnaire at the second time and the third time. Hierarchical Liner Modeling (HLM) was used to analysis the data.Results(1) Hopelessness depression had significant positive correlation with negative life events (p=0.000). There was significant positive correlation (r=0.93) between composite score and the highest score of negative cognitive style. The effect of negative cognitive style (composite score, the highest score, and subscale score) on initial hopelessness depression was significant. The effect of negative cognitive style (composite score, the highest score, and subscale score) on the relation between negative life events and hopelessness depression was not significant (p=0.203～0.765). The effect of negative cognitive style (composite score, the highest score, and subscale score) on linear decrease in hopelessness depression across twelve weekly negative life events was not significant (p=0.203-0.765).(2) Hopelessness depression had significant negative correlation with positive life events (p=0.001). There was significant positive correlation (r=0.94) between composite score and the highest score of enhancing cognitive style. The effect of enhancing cognitive style (composite score, the highest score, and subscale score) on initial hopelessness depression was not significant(p=0.343-0.590). The effect of enhancing cognitive style (composite score, the highest score, and subscale score) on the relation between positive life events and hopelessness depression was not significant(p=0.064～0.580). The effect of enhancing cognitive style (composite score, the highest score, and subscale score) on linear decrease in hopelessness depression across twelve weekly positive life events was not significant (p=0.172～0.901).(3) Hopelessness depression had significant positive correlation with neutral life events (p=0.001). The effect of negative cognitive style on the relation between neutral life events and hopelessness depression was significant (p=0.030). The effect of negative cognitive style on linear decrease in hopelessness depression across twelve weekly neutral life events was significant (p=0.020). The effect of enhancing cognitive style on the relation between neutral life events and hopelessness depression was not significant (p=0.385). The effect of enhancing cognitive style on linear decrease in hopelessness depression across twelve weekly neutral life events was not significant (p=0.489). The effect of mindfulness on initial hopelessness depression was significant (p=0.000). The effect of mindfulness on the relation between neutral life events and hopelessness depression was not significant (p=0.921). The effect of mindfulness on linear decrease in hopelessness depression across twelve weekly occasions was significant (p=0.025)Conclusions(1) Neutral life events and negative life events are risk factors of hopelessness depression. Positive life events are resilience factors of hopelessness depression.(2) Composite scores of negative cognitive style and enhancing cognitive style can be adopted in college students.(3) Hopelessness depression had significant positive correlation with negative cognitive style. The greater levels of negative cognitive style are associated with greater levels of hopelessness depressive reactivity in response to neutral life events. The negative cognitive style can not moderate the relation between negative life events and hopelessness depression.(4) Hopelessness depression had negative correlation with enhancing cognitive style, but not significant. The enhancing cognitive style can not moderate the relation between neutral life events and hopelessness depression. The enhancing cognitive style can not moderate the relation between positive life events and hopelessness depression.(5) Mindfulness can not moderate the relation between neutral life events and hopelessness depression. Greater level of mindfulness is associated with lower linear decrease in hopelessness depression across the twelve weekly neutral life events.