The relationship between dysfunctional attitudes, self-esteem, life event stressors and depression Among Addis Ababa University students
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Date
2014-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Studies has consistently demonstrated that major depressive episode in patients compared to
controls is preceded by major life event stressors. Beck postulated that maladaptive cognitive
styles when triggered by stressful life events leads to depression. Self esteem is also a
vulnerability factor to depression. Self esteem deficits are thought to play a Role in vulnerability
to depression. thus the present study objective was investigating how prevalent depression is in
university students and examining the main effects and interaction effects of self esteem
,dysfunctional attitudes, life event stressors, and gender on depressive symptoms among
university students (N = 308). cross sectional research design was utilized to met the research
objectives. Prevalence rate of 31.8% was found among AAU students. Regression analysis has
shown that dysfunctional attitudes, self esteem, life stressors and gender had a unique significant
contribution to the variability of depression and the regression model that included these
variables was significant predictor of depression. The above mentioned variables were tested for
their interactive effects on depression. Interaction of life stressors and dysfunctional attitudes,
and life stressors and gender were not significant predictors of depression. However Interaction
of self esteem and dysfunctional attitudes were significant predictors of depression. These results
suggest that self esteem, dysfunctional attitudes, gender and life stressors have relationship with
depression and might be vulnerability factors to depression. Dysfunctional attitudes and self
esteem in combination predicts depression above and beyond the independent effect each have
on depression.
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Keywords
Relationship between dysfunctional attitudes