Self-discrepancy, negative life events, and social support in relation to dejection in mothers of infants
A diathesis-stress framework was used to examine self-discrepancy, negative life events, and social support in relation to dejection in a sample of 100 mothers who were between 3 and 12 months postpartum. In hierarchical regressions, actual:ideal (AI) discrepancy, but not actual:ought (AO) discrepancy, was positively associated with dejection assessed 2 weeks later. Negative life events were more strongly associated with dejection for mothers whose AI discrepancy was larger. Mothers who perceived less social support were more dejected, and AI discrepancy was more strongly associated with dejection when social support was lower. The regression model did not predict anxiety. The results support diathesis-stress theories of vulnerability to depression in that the interaction of the diathesis and the stress predicted dejection but not anxiety, as well as self-discrepancy theory in that AI discrepancy but not AO discrepancy predicted dejection.
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Related Subject Headings
- Social Psychology
- 5205 Social and personality psychology
- 5203 Clinical and health psychology
- 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
- 1702 Cognitive Sciences
- 1701 Psychology
Citation
Published In
DOI
ISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Related Subject Headings
- Social Psychology
- 5205 Social and personality psychology
- 5203 Clinical and health psychology
- 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
- 1702 Cognitive Sciences
- 1701 Psychology