Interpersonal mechanisms in the relationships between dependency/self-criticism and depressive symptoms in Taiwanese undergraduates: A prospective study

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the relationships among depressogenic personality styles (dependency and self-criticism), interpersonal behaviors, and depressive symptoms. The sample consisted of 84 college students in Taiwan (89% female; 11% male), ranging in age from 18 to 24 (M = 19.39; SD = 1.31). Results of the analyses indicated that Time 1 depressive symptoms predicted Time 2 self-criticism; meanwhile, Time 1 self-criticism predicted Time 2 depressive symptoms. Further, it revealed that while Time 1 dependency predicted Time 2 depressive symptoms, Time 1 depressive symptoms did not predict Time 2 dependency. It appears that dependency and depressive symptoms were not reciprocally related. The study shows both the longitudinal effects of self-criticism and dependency on depressive symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)