CLINICAL IMPRESSIONS OF DEPRESSION AND PHYSICAL STIGMA

Examined trainees' reactions to individuals who were varied in interpe rsonal behavior and physical stigma. According to traditional notions of training in rehabilitation psychology, graduate students in clinica l and counseling psychology programs should differ from graduate stude nts in a rehabilitation counseling program in their emotional and cogn itive reactions to persons with physical disabilities. Alternatively, interpersonal models of depression suggest that all trainees should ha ve mom pronounced emotional reactions and different cognitive expectat ions of a person who displays depressive behavior. Actual results supp orted the latter position: Trainees reported more feelings of sadness after seeing the depressed targets. and also reported more negative ex pectations of these persons in counseling. Results am discussed as the y pertain to interpersonal models of depression and implications for t raining.