HOPELESSNESS DEPRESSION IN DEPRESSED INPATIENTS - SYMPTOMATOLOGY, PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS, AND OUTCOME

This explorary study examined the association between level of hopeles sness and specific depression symptomatology, patient characteristics, and treatment outcome. Results from 80 unipolar depressed inpatients suggested that high-hopelessness patients could be discriminated from low-hopelessness patients on hypothesized symptoms of depression, char acterized by retarded initiation of voluntary responses (a motivationa l symptom) and sad affect (an emotional symptom). Moreover, high-hopel essness patients could be discriminated from patients low in hopelessn ess on the patient characteristics of greater suicidal ideation, socia l dysfunction, and cognitive dysfunction. Finally, compared to low-hop elessness patients, depressed inpatients high in hopelessness exhibite d a poorer outcome to pharmacological and cognitive-behavioral treatme nt interventions.