Thomas J. D'Zurilla

Social problem-solving deficits and hopelessness, depression, and suicidal risk in college students and psychiatric inpatients

The Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised was used to examine the relations between problem-solving abilities and hopelessness, depression, and suicidal risk in three different samples: undergraduate college students, general psychiatric inpatients, and suicidal psychiatric inpatients. A similar pattern of results was found in both college students and psychiatric patients: a negative problem orientation was most highly correlated with all three criterion variables, followed by either a positive problem orientation or an avoidance problem-solving style. Rational problem-solving skills emerged as an important predictor variable in the suicidal psychiatric sample. Support was found for a prediction model of suicidal risk that includes problem-solving deficits and hopelessness, with partial support being found for including depression in the model as well.

Assessing the dimensionality of optimism and pessimism using a multimeasure approach

Weighted least-squares confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory factor-analytic procedures were used to assess the dimensionality of three self-report instruments designed to measure optimism and pessimism: the Life Orientation Test (LOT), the Hopelessness Scale (HS), and the Optimism and Pessimism Scale (OPS). The LOT was found to be bidimensional, the HS unidimensional, and the OPS multidimensional. The HS was interpreted as measuring a unipolar pessimism dimension. Factor analyses performed on an item subset from the OPS that fit the definition of optimism and pessimism as generalized outcome expectancies also supported the two-dimensional model of optimism and pessimism. Differential correlations between separate optimism and pessimism indices and a measure of psychological stress provided partial further support for a two-dimensional model of optimism and pessimism.

Problem-solving therapy for depression: a meta-analysis.

Problem-Solving Therapy (PST) is a cognitive-behavioral intervention that focuses on training in adaptive problem-solving attitudes and skills. The purpose of this paper was to conduct a meta-analysis of controlled outcome studies on efficacy of PST for reducing depressive symptomatology. Based on results involving 21 independent samples, PST was found to be equally effective as other psychosocial therapies and medication treatments and significantly more effective than no treatment and support/attention control groups. Moreover, component analyses indicated that PST is more effective when the treatment program includes (a) training in a positive problem orientation (vs. problem-solving skills only), (b) training in all four major problem-solving skills (i.e., problem definition and formulation, generation of alternatives, decision making, and solution implementation and verification), and (c) training in the complete PST package (problem orientation plus the four problem-solving skills).

Conceptual and methodological issues in social problem-solving assessment

Several promising instruments are currently available to researchers and clinicians who require a reliable and valid measure of social problem-solving abilities. However, all of these measures have shortcomings and none has definitive, unequivocal support for its construct validity at the present time. The conceptual and methodological issues that are most directly related to the validity of social problem-solving measures were discussed. The strengths and weaknesses of the major current instruments were examined with respect to these issues. Empirical evidence related to convergent and discriminant validity was also reviewed. Recommendations were made for the improvement of these measures as well as the future development of new and better measures of social problem-solving processes and outcomes.

Social problem solving: Theory, research, and training.

Throughout history, philosophers have argued that the capacity to solve problems successfully in the real world is a crucial component for ones well-being. Psychologists have since been looking to understand the nuances of problem solving specifically as it applies to the self-directed cognitive-behavioral process by which an individual, couple, or group attempts to identify or discover effective solutions for problems encountered in everyday living. From this researchers are developing training methods in which people can learn to solve problems effectively and positively thereby leading to generalized and durable behavior changes. In Social Problem Solving: Theory, Research, and Training, readers will find a nice balance of theory and research in social problem solving and well as practical methods and training approaches. Because of the widespread relevance of social problem solving, this book is not only for researchers and mental health practitioners, but also for students and other readers who would like to maximize their effectiveness and success in dealing with real and complex problems in everyday living.

Relations between problem orientation and optimism, pessimism, and trait affectivity: A construct validation study.

This study investigated the construct validity of the Positive and Negative Problem Orientation scales of the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised (SPSI-R) by examining the relations between these scales and measures of optimism, pessimism, and trait affectivity. Consistent with expectations based on social problem-solving theory, positive problem orientation was found to have a relatively large amount of variance in common with optimism and positive affectivity, and negative problem orientation was found to share a large amount of variance with pessimism and negative affectivity, but not enough to be considered redundant in either case. Positive problem orientation was found to add significant incremental validity to the prediction of adaptive problem-engagement coping even after partialing out the variance associated with optimism and positive affectivity. In addition, negative problem orientation was found to add unique variance to the prediction of psychological distress even after controlling for pessimism and negative affectivity.

Social problem solving as a mediator of stress-related depression and anxiety in middle-aged and elderly community residents

This study examined the relations between everyday problems, social problem solving, and depression and anxiety in middle-aged and elderly community residents, using a multidimensional measure of social problem-solving ability that assesses positive problem orientation, negative problem orientation, rational problem solving, impulsivity/carelessness style, and avoidance style. While problem-solving deficits were found to be significantly related to depression and anxiety in both age samples, no support was found for a moderator hypothesis which assumes that problem-solving ability interacts with everyday problems to reduce depression and anxiety. On the other hand, support was found in both samples for a mediational model which assumes that problem solving is an intervening variable that accounts to a significant degree for the causal relations between everyday problems and depression and anxiety. Although all five problem-solving dimensions were significantly related to depression and anxiety, negative problem orientation was found to contribute most to the significant mediating effect.

A study of the generation-of-alternatives process in social problem solving.

This study evaluated three principles that have been recommended for generating alternatives in social problem solving: (1)quantity (i.e., “the more alternatives generated the better”), (2)deferment of judgment (i.e., “it is better to generate alternatives without critically evaluating them at the same time“),and (3)strategy-tactics (i.e., “it is better to first generate a list of general approaches to the problem and then go back and generate specific means for implementing them”).The results showed strong support only for the quantity principle. Data also suggested, however, that research should be done using more difficult test problems and subjects with greater deficits in social problem-solving ability before abandoning deferment of judgment and strategy-tactics procedures in social problem-solving training.

Integrated Family and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for adolescent substance abusers: a Stage I efficacy study

This study evaluated the efficacy of Integrated Family and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (IFCBT), a multisystems treatment for adolescent drug abuse, versus a Drugs Harm Psychoeducation curriculum (DHPE). A randomized controlled trial assessed youth and parents at baseline and at 1, 3 and 6-month posttreatment points. Youth participants (N=43) met diagnostic criteria for one or more psychoactive substance use disorders with most youth meeting criteria for alcohol and marijuana use disorders. IFCBT produced significant reductions in posttreatment substance use when compared against DHPE. Throughout the 6-month posttreatment period, youth receiving IFCBT used alcohol an average of 2.03 days each month, which was significantly lower than the average number of 6.06 days that DHPE youth used alcohol during the same period. Similarly, youth receiving IFCBT used marijuana an average of 5.67 days each month during the initial 6 posttreatment months which was also significantly lower than the average number of 13.83 days that DHPE youth used marijuana each month during the same period. IFCBT also reduced rates of any marijuana use and produced significant changes in targeted psychosocial risk and protective factors. IFCBT youth exhibited significantly higher levels of rational problem solving and learning strategy skills, and significantly lower levels of problem avoidance when compared with DHPE youths. IFCBT parents exhibited significantly more adaptive scores on communication, involvement, control, and values/norms indices when compared with DHPE parents. No iatrogenic effects were exhibited among youth in either IFCBT or DHPE conditions on the outcome measures examined. The present study findings suggest that IFCBT is a promising approach for the treatment of adolescents with psychoactive substance use disorders.

Social problem solving and trait anxiety as predictors of worry in a college student population

This study examined the relations between trait anxiety, social problem-solving ability, and two different measures of worry in a sample of 353 college students. The worry measures were the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), which measures worry frequency, uncontrollability, and distress, and the Catastrophic Worry Questionnaire (CWQ), which assesses extreme negative outcome expectancies associated with worry. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that social problem-solving ability accounted for a significant amount of variance in both worry measures even after trait anxiety was controlled. Three different dimensions of social problem-solving ability were found to be significantly associated with worry. Negative problem orientation was positively related to both worry measures after controlling for trait anxiety. In addition, rational problem solving and impulsivity/carelessness style were both positively related to the CWQ after controlling for trait anxiety and problem orientation, which suggests that catastrophic worry has both constructive and dysfunctional problem-solving aspects that cannot be accounted for by the persons problem orientation. The implications of these findings for theory, research, and practice were discussed.