IRRATIONAL BELIEFS AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AMONG YOUNGER AND OLDER ADULTS - A CROSS-SECTIONAL COMPARISON

The present study explored age differences in the expression of depres sion. Such differences were quite apparent. Among 118 young adults and 107 communi -residing elderly individuals, it was found that in the y oung adult groups, cognitive belief factors labeled ''externality/cont rol'' and ''dependency/emotionality'' were associated with both affect ive and cognitive aspect of depression, but not somatic depressive sym ptoms over and above the influence of sociodemographic factors. In con trast, among older adults, a cognitive belief factor labeled ''cogniti ve-emotional rigidity/dependency'' was uniquely associated with both a ffective and somatic depressive symptoms. Additionally, a second cogni tive factor, labeled ''adaptation/internal control'' defined in terms of the absence of irrational thinking about adaptation and control, wa s negatively related to somatic depressive symptoms. For each sample, poorer health was associated with greater depressive symptomatology. W hile these findings generally tend to support a cognitive view of depr ession in adulthood, they also underscore the importance of cognitions that may be adaptive which mitigate distress among older persons.