HEALTH-SEEKING RESOURCES IN DEPRESSED OUTPATIENTS

The recent shift in the delivery of mental health services from tradit ional inpatient care to community-based treatment has amplified the ne ed for psychiatric-mental health nurses to develop effective strategie s for depressed clients in community settings. This study examined cha racteristics of 126 depressed outpatients with and without prior hospi talization and compared the two groups on variables related to depress ion using Schlotfeldt's health-seeking model. Results for both groups showed that absence of depressive symptoms and learned resourcefulness were significant predictors of adaptive functioning. Social interest was significant only for those without prior hospitalization. These fi ndings support the use of interventions that minimize depressive sympt oms, teach resourcefulness and encourage social interest in depressed outpatients. Copyright (C) 1995 by W.B. Saunders Company