HOPELESSNESS PREDICTS FUTURE DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS - A PROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF COGNITIVE VULNERABILITY AND COGNITIVE CONTENT SPECIFICITY

Beck's content specificity hypothesis predicts distinct cognitive cont ent within specific psychological disorders. We evaluated whether the third component of the ''cognitive triad,'' negative view of the futur e (hopelessness), would be related 4 weeks later to depressive symptom s, but not to anxiety. University student participants (83 females, 71 males) were tested on the Beck Depression Inventory and the Beck Anxi ety Inventory at two points in time, separated by 4 weeks. The Hopeles sness Scale was administered at time 1 and a Life Events Inventory at time 2. Concurrent cognitive content specificity was replicated. For m ales only, hopelessness predicted future depression severity scores, b ut not anxiety. Hopelessness predicted depressive symptoms over and ab ove life event stressors, but not vice versa.