The Role of Personal Goals in Depressive Reaction to Adverse Life Events: A Cross-Sectional Study
Consistent with cognitive views of depression, we aimed to investigate the mediating role of personal goals in the relationship between stressful events and distinct patterns of depressive symptoms in a nonclinical sample. Participants identified a dysphoric episode that occurred in the previous yea...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2012-01-01
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| Series: | The Scientific World Journal |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2012/810341 |
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| author | Alessandro Couyoumdjian Cristina Ottaviani Roberta Trincas Grazia Spitoni Katia Tenore Francesco Mancini |
| author_facet | Alessandro Couyoumdjian Cristina Ottaviani Roberta Trincas Grazia Spitoni Katia Tenore Francesco Mancini |
| author_sort | Alessandro Couyoumdjian |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Consistent with cognitive views of depression, we aimed to investigate the mediating role of personal goals in the relationship between stressful events and distinct patterns of depressive symptoms in a nonclinical sample. Participants identified a dysphoric episode that occurred in the previous year by reporting the severity of 12 depressive symptoms and their plausible cause. A goal taxonomy was used to determine how much the event interfered with the achievement of a series of personal goals. After controlling for age and current level of depression, the patterns of symptoms differed based on the triggering events. The relationship between sadness and affective losses was partially mediated by the personal goal of lovableness, and success was a partial mediator in the association between an event of failure and symptoms of worthlessness and anhedonia. Although the cross-sectional design of the study does not allow for conclusions on the direction of effects, findings suggest the importance of motivational factors in the development of specific patterns of depressive symptoms to adverse events. Assuming a continuum from low mood to clinical depression, treatment models could benefit from a precise identification of the specific stressors that initiate depressive behaviour and the personal meaning assigned to those events. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e34cdd91927b48cdb06850e3ebbbcdbf |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1537-744X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Scientific World Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-e34cdd91927b48cdb06850e3ebbbcdbf2025-08-20T02:21:24ZengWileyThe Scientific World Journal1537-744X2012-01-01201210.1100/2012/810341810341The Role of Personal Goals in Depressive Reaction to Adverse Life Events: A Cross-Sectional StudyAlessandro Couyoumdjian0Cristina Ottaviani1Roberta Trincas2Grazia Spitoni3Katia Tenore4Francesco Mancini5Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Psychology, University of Cagliari, Via Is Mirrionis 1, 09123 Cagliari, ItalyDepartment of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185 Rome, ItalyScuola di Psicoterapia Cognitiva S.r.l., Viale Castro Pretorio 116, 00185 Roma, ItalyScuola di Psicoterapia Cognitiva S.r.l., Viale Castro Pretorio 116, 00185 Roma, ItalyConsistent with cognitive views of depression, we aimed to investigate the mediating role of personal goals in the relationship between stressful events and distinct patterns of depressive symptoms in a nonclinical sample. Participants identified a dysphoric episode that occurred in the previous year by reporting the severity of 12 depressive symptoms and their plausible cause. A goal taxonomy was used to determine how much the event interfered with the achievement of a series of personal goals. After controlling for age and current level of depression, the patterns of symptoms differed based on the triggering events. The relationship between sadness and affective losses was partially mediated by the personal goal of lovableness, and success was a partial mediator in the association between an event of failure and symptoms of worthlessness and anhedonia. Although the cross-sectional design of the study does not allow for conclusions on the direction of effects, findings suggest the importance of motivational factors in the development of specific patterns of depressive symptoms to adverse events. Assuming a continuum from low mood to clinical depression, treatment models could benefit from a precise identification of the specific stressors that initiate depressive behaviour and the personal meaning assigned to those events.http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2012/810341 |
| spellingShingle | Alessandro Couyoumdjian Cristina Ottaviani Roberta Trincas Grazia Spitoni Katia Tenore Francesco Mancini The Role of Personal Goals in Depressive Reaction to Adverse Life Events: A Cross-Sectional Study The Scientific World Journal |
| title | The Role of Personal Goals in Depressive Reaction to Adverse Life Events: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full | The Role of Personal Goals in Depressive Reaction to Adverse Life Events: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_fullStr | The Role of Personal Goals in Depressive Reaction to Adverse Life Events: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Role of Personal Goals in Depressive Reaction to Adverse Life Events: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_short | The Role of Personal Goals in Depressive Reaction to Adverse Life Events: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_sort | role of personal goals in depressive reaction to adverse life events a cross sectional study |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2012/810341 |
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