Reassessing the Relationship Between Social Problem-Solving and Depression: The Pervasive Influence of Demoralization

The relationship between social problem-solving (SPS) and depression is well-established. Negative problem orientation (NPO) has consistently emerged as the strongest predictor of depression as compared to the other SPS dimensions. The present study sought to replicate previous findings that demonstrate the predominance of NPO over the remaining SPS dimensions in predicting depression and to assess whether NPO contributes any unique variance to the prediction of depression after controlling for demoralization. Undergraduate students (N = 410) completed self-report measures assessing SPS, demoralization, and depression. Controlling for gender, two hierarchical regression models were tested to predict depression, in which the order of entry of the variables was reversed. In the first model, NPO emerged as a significant predictor, but it was subsequently displaced by demoralization. In the second model, NPO failed to account for unique variance in depression when it was entered after demoralization. Therefore, these findings support the conceptualization of demoralization as a higher-order construct reflective of nonspecific distress that encapsulates the core features of NPO. Future research is needed to establish a clearer understanding of the distinct features and interrelationships between these constructs to improve precision of diagnostic assessments and interventions for depression.