POSSIBLE SELVES IN MAJOR DEPRESSION

Ratings of possible selves and resultant self-concept discrepancies we re examined in 25 patients diagnosed with major depression and 25 cont rol subjects. Self-concept discrepancies significantly discriminated p atients from controls. The presence of negative features in the self-s chema was a stronger indicator of depressive symptomatology than was t he absence of positive self-appraisal. Depressives' future projections of self were less pessimistic than predicted by cognitive theories of depression.