Abstract
This study tested whether sensitivity to aversive events is a concomitant versus antecedent/consequent of depression. Twenty currently depressed subjects, twenty subjects with remitted depression, and twenty control subjects completed psychophysiological and learning tasks involving aversive components. Both currently depressed and remitted subjects, when compared to control subjects, exhibited greater decreases in skin resistance response reactions to negative social scenes and a greater sensitivity to extinction in the learning condition involving an aversive component. The fact that the responses of remitted subjects were very similar to those of currently depressed subjects on both tasks is consistent with the view that sensitivity to aversive events is an antecedent or consequent of depression, as opposed to being only a concomitant. The results also provide some support for the passive avoidance model of depression.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barnett, P. A., & Gotlib, I. H. (1988). Psychosocial functioning and depression: Distinguishing among antecedents, concomitants, and consequences.Psychological Bulletin, 104, 97–126.
Beck, A. T., Ward, C. H., Mendelson, M., Mock, J. E., & Erbaugh, J. K. (1961). An inventory for measuring depression.Archives of General Psychiatry, 4, 561–571.
Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (1979).Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: Academic.
Billings, A. G., & Moos, R. H. (1985). Psychosocial processes of remission in unipolar depression: Comparing depressed patients with matched community controls.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53, 314–325.
Billings, A. G., Cronkite, R. C., & Moos, R. H. (1983). Social-environmental factors in unipolar depression: Comparisons of depressed patients and nondepressed controls.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 92, 119–133.
Brown, G. W., & Harris, T. (1978).Social origins of depression: A study of psychiatric disorder in women. New York: Free Press.
Bumberry, W., Oliver, J. M., & McClure, J. N. (1978). Validation of the Beck Depression Inventory in a university population using psychiatric estimates as the criterion.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46, 150–155.
Cartwright, R. D. (1983). Rapid eye movement sleep characteristics during and after mood-disturbing events.Archives of General Psychiatry, 40, 197–201.
Dohr, K. B., Rush, A. J., & Bernstein, I. H. (1989). Cognitive biases and depression.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 98, 263–267.
Gatchel, R. J., McKinney, M. E., & Koebernick, L. F. (1977). Learned helplessness, depression, and physiological responding.Psychophysiology, 14, 25–31.
Golin, S., Hartman, S. A., Klatt, E. N., Munz, K., & Wolfgang, G. L. (1977). Effects of self-esteem manipulations on arousal and reactions to sad models in depressed and nondepressed college students.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 86, 435–439.
Gonzales, L., Lewinsohn, P. M., & Clarke, G. (1985). Longitudinal follow-up of unipolar depressives: An investigation of predictors of relapse.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53, 461–469.
Hamilton, E. W., & Abramson, L. Y. (1983). Cognitive patterns and major depressive disorders: A longitudinal study in a hospital setting.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 92, 173–184.
Hathaway, S. R. (1946). The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory.Modern Hospital, 66, 65–67.
Hayes, S. C., Brownstein, A. J., Haas, J. R., & Greenway, D. E. (1986). Instructions, multiple schedules, and extinction: Distinguishing rule-governed from schedule-controlled behavior.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 46, 137–147.
Hayes, S. C., Brownstein, A. J., Zettle, R. D., Rosenfarb, I., & Korn, Z. (1986). Rule-governed behavior and sensitivity to changing consequences of responding.Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 45, 237–256.
Holmes, T. H., & Rahe, R. H. (1967). The social readjustment rating scale.Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 11, 213–218.
Keller, M. B., Shapiro, R. W., Lavori, P., & Wolfe, N. (1982). Relapse in major depressive disorder: Analysis of the life table.Archives of General Psychiatry, 39, 911–915.
Lewinsohn, P. M. (1975). The behavioral study and treatment of depression. In M. Hersen, R. M. Eisler & P. M. Miller (Eds.),Progress in behavior modification (Vol. 1, pp. 19–64). New York: Academic.
Lewinsohn, P. M., & Hoberman, H. M. (1982). Depression. In A. S. Bellack, M. Hersen, & A. E. Kadzin (Eds.),International handbook of behavior modification and therapy (pp. 397–431). New York: Plenum.
Lewinsohn, P. M., Lobitz, W. C., & Wilson, S. (1973). Sensitivity of depressed individuals to aversive stimuli.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 81, 259–263.
Lewinsohn, P. M., Hautzinger, M., & Duncan, E. (1984).Is there an age elevated risk for unipolar depression? Unpublished mimeo, University of Oregon, Eugene.
Lewinsohn, P. M., Hoberman, H. M., Teri, L., & Hautzinger, M. (1985). An integrative theory of depression. In S. Reiss & R. R. Bootzin (Eds.),Theoretical issues in behavior therapy (pp. 331–359). Orlando, FL: Academic.
Lewinsohn, P. M., Mermelstein, R. M., Alexander, C., & MacPhillamy, D. J. (1985). The unpleasant events schedule: A scale for the measurement of aversive events.Journal of Clinical Psychology, 41, 483–498.
Lewinsohn, P. M., Zeiss, A. M., & Duncan, E. M. (1989). Probability of relapse after recovery from an episode of depression.Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 98, 107–116.
Lubin, B. (1967).Depression Adjective Checklists: Manual. San Diego, CA: Educational and Industrial Testing Service.
Lubin, B. (1981).Depressive Adjective Checklists: Manual. San Diego, CA: Educational and Industrial Testing Service.
Mayer, J. M. (1978). Assessment of depression. In P. McReynolds (Ed.),Advances in psychological assessment, Vol. 4. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
McNair, D. M. (1974). Self-evaluation of antidepressants.Psychopharmacology, 37, 281–302.
Patterson, W. M., Dohn, H. D., Bird, J., & Patterson, G. A. (1983). Evaluation of suicidal patients: The SAD PERSONS scale.Journal of the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, 24, 343–349.
Paykel, E. S., Myers, J. K., Dienelt, M. N., Klerman, G. L., Lindenthal, J. J., & Pepper, M. P. (1969). Life events and depression: A controlled study.Archives of General Psychiatry, 21, 753–760.
Rush, A. J., Erman, M. K., Giles, D. E., Schlesser, M. A., Carpenter, M. A., Vasavada, N., & Roffwarg, H. P. (1986). Polysomnographic findings in recently drug-free and clinically remitted depressed patients.Archives of General Psychiatry, 43, 878–884.
Schneidmiller, S. (1988).The role of rule-governed behavior in histrionic and compulsive personality disorders. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Greensboro: University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Schulz, H., Lund, R., Cording, C., & Dirlich, G. (1979). Bimodal distribution of REM sleep latencies in depression.Biological Psychiatry, 14, 595–600.
Spitzer, R. L. & Endicott, J. (1978a).Schedule for the Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (3rd ed.). New York: New York State Psychiatric Institute, Biometrics Research.
Spitzer, R. L., & Endicott, J. (1978b).Schedule for the Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime Version (3rd Ed.). New York: New York State Psychiatric Institute, Biometrics Research.
Suarez, Y., Crowe, M. J., & Adams, H. E. (1978). Depression: Avoidance learning and physiological correlates in clinical and analog populations.Behaviour Research and Therapy, 16, 21–31.
Weissman, M. M., & Klerman, G. (1977). Sex differences and the epidemiology of depression.Archives of General Psychiatry, 34, 98–111.
Zeiss, M. & Lewinsohn, P. M. (1988). Enduring deficits after remissions of depression: A test of the scar hypothesis.Behaviour Research and Therapy, 26, 151–158.
Zuckerman, M., Persky, H., & Curtis, G. (1968). Relationships among anxiety, depression, hostility, and autonomic variables.Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 146, 481–487.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was based on portions of a doctoral dissertation by the first author, with the second author as chairperson, at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
This research was aided by a Grant-in-Aid of Research to the first author from Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, an award from the Jill Shelby Memorial Fund to the first author, and support from National Institute of Mental Health Grant MH17071, awarded to C. R. Snyder.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sigmon, S.T., Nelson-Gray, R.O. Sensitivity to aversive events in depression: Antecedent, concomitant, or consequent?. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 14, 225–246 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00962630
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00962630