Individual Differences Research 2008, Vol. 6, No. 2 pp. 120-122
www.idr-journal.com ISSN: 1541-745X Copyright © 2008 IDA
An Investigation of the Relationship Between Depression and Worry: A Research Note Juanita M. Buck University of Nevada, Las Vegas
William E. Kelly* Robert Morris University
N. Clayton Silver University of Nevada, Las Vegas
*William Kelly; Department of Social Sciences; Robert Morris University; 6001 University Blvd.; Moon Township, PA 15108-1189;
[email protected] (email). ABSTRACT – This study examined the possible meditational effects of anxiety, stress, and negative affect on the relationship between worry and depression among 117 university students. The results indicated that after controlling for anxiety, stress, and negative affect, worry continued to account for a significant proportion of the variance in depression. The results and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Previous research has found worry and depression to be positively correlated (Segerstrom, Tsao, Alden, & Craske, 2000; Starcevic, 1995). While these findings provided evidence of a relationship between worry and depression, there exists a need to understand this relationship more thoroughly. Because both worry and depression are aspects of the foundational affective construct negative affect (Watson & Clark, 1984), it is plausible that worry and depression are merely manifestations of negative affect. In other words a meditational effect may exist (Baron & Kenny, 1986). Indeed, a review of the literature reveled that at least three variables were related to both worry and depression: stress, anxiety, and general negative affect (Chang, 2000; Pianta & Egeland, 1994; Segerstrom et al., 2000; Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988). Hence, this study sought to explore if stress, anxiety, and negative affect can account for the relationship between worry and depression.
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Method Participants and Procedure As part of a larger study on personality, 117 undergraduate students (70 females) with an average age of 23.9 (SD = 5.8) were administered the scales described below after obtaining informed consent. Instruments Scales included the 25-item Worry Domains Questionnaire (WDQ; Tallis, Eysenck, & Mathews, 1992), the 4-item version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; Cohen, Kararck, & Mermelstein, 1983), the Costello-Comrey Anxiety (9-items) and Depression (13-items) Scales (Costello & Comrey, 1967), and the10-item negative affect scale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson et al., 1988). All scales, with exception of the anxiety and depression scales, were administered using a 5-point scale (1= “strongly disagree”, 5 = “strongly agree”). The Costello-Comrey scales were administered using a 9-point scale (1 = “never”, 9 = “always”). All scales have been found to have satisfactory reliability and validity (see cited sources for details).
Results and Discussion The WDQ was positively correlated with depression (r = .61, p < .0001). A multiple regression was calculated using depression as the criterion, forcing the PSS, anxiety, and negative affect to load on Step 1, and entering the WDQ on Step 2. The PSS, anxiety, and negative affect as a group accounted for 45% of the variance in depression scores, F (3, 113) = 30.24, p < .0001. On Step 2, the WDQ contributed an additional 3% of variance, which was a significant increase, F (1, 112) = 6.53, p < .01). The results of this study indicated that worry accounted for variance in depression which was separate from stress, anxiety, and general negative affect. While the variance in depression was reduced substantially after accounting for stress, anxiety, and negative affect, worry nevertheless continued to account for a significant amount of variance. It is possible that other variables exist which also explain the relationship between worry and depression. For example, the similar cognitive schemas of worriers and depressed individuals may partly mediate the relationship as well. The cognitive model of worry (Kelly & Miller, 1999) suggests that worriers have contradictory beliefs they should be able to, but are not capable of, dealing with problems. Similarly, depressed individuals often have underlying negative beliefs about the self (Beck, 1976). Future research should investigate if such maladaptive beliefs mediate the worry - depression relationship.
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Buck et al. / Individual Differences Research, 2008, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 120-122
____________________________________________________________________ Author Note Portions of this paper were presented at the 48th annual convention of the Southeastern Psychological Association, Orlando, FL.
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