Alexander R. Rich

Negative life stress, social problem-solving self-appraisal, and hopelessness: Implications for suicide research

The role of problem-solving self-appraisal and negative life stress in hopelessness among college students was examined. Subjects (n =186) completed the Problem-Solving Inventory, the Life Experiences Survey, the Self-Rating Depression Scale, and the Hopelessness Scale. The results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that problem-solving self-appraisal and its interaction with negative life stress are independent predictors of hopelessness beyond depressed mood. Results are discussed in terms of the implications for future research and treatment of hopelessness and suicidal behavior.

CAUSES OF DEPRESSION IN COLLEGE STUDENTS: A CROSS-LAGGED PANEL CORRELATIONAL ANALYSIS

A study was conducted over a 6-wk. period to investigate factors associated with the development of depression among college students. Subjects were 134 first-semester freshmen conscripted from the general psychology subject pool. Scores were obtained from self-report questionnaires involving measures of life events, social support, and cognitive appraisal at the beginning of the semester and again later. The result of stepwise multiple regression analyses of Time 1 and Time 2 administrations indicated that the variables most strongly and consistently associated with depression were loneliness, interpersonal mistrust, and neuroticism. Two-panel cross-lagged correlational analyses indicated that loneliness preceded depression. Moreover, the data suggested that interpersonal mistrust and neuroticism were related to depression through the variable of loneliness.

Predicting vulnerability to hopelessness. A longitudinal analysis

The role of loneliness, irrational beliefs, and deficient reasons for living in predicting vulnerability to hopelessness under conditions of negative life stress was examined. Subjects (N = 178) completed the UCLA Loneliness Scale, Rational Beliefs Inventory, and the Reasons for Living Inventory at the beginning of the semester. Then, at midterm, measures of negative life stress, depression, and hopelessness were obtained from the same subjects. It was hypothesized that the vulnerability factors would interact with negative life stress to predict hopelessness, independent of depressed mood. The results of multiple regression analyses supported this hypothesis. Implications for research, prevention, and treatment are noted.

Psychological Vulnerability and Substance Abuse as Predictors of Suicide Ideation among Adolescents.

A stress-vulnerability model of suicidal behavior among college students was proposed by Bonner and Rich [1, 2]. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate and extend this model using a younger adolescent (i.e., high school) sample. A total of 613 students (328 females and 285 males) completed the self-report measures of life stress, depression, hopelessness, reasons for living, loneliness, alcohol and drug use, and suicidal ideation. These factors served as predictor variables in stepwise multiple regressions with suicidal ideation serving as the criterion variable. Four variables emerged as significant predictors of suicidal ideation: depression, hopelessness, few reasons for living, and problem substance use. The linear combination of these variables accounted for 52 percent of the variance in suicide ideation scores. The substance abuse variable accounted for variance in ideation scores independent of the other factors.