SUPPORTIVE VS DEFENSIVE COMMUNICATIONS IN DEPRESSION - AN ASSESSMENT OF COYNE INTERACTIONAL-MODEL

Coyne's (1976a) model of depression maintains that depression worsens through specific interpersonal interactions. To examine certain descri ptive and causal features of this model, the videotaped, 20-minute, pr oblem-solving communications of 20 depressed target/significant other dyads and 20 matched, control dyads were coded by two clinically-train ed observers. Compared to control dyads, depressed-target dyads expres sed less supportiveness and greater defensiveness. The amounts of supp ortive and defensive communications exchanged between partners in the depressed-target dyads did not differ; also found between partners wer e significant, positive correlations in supportive and defensive commu nications. The hypothesized aversiveness of a nonreciprocal amount of support by depressed targets towards their significant others was not found, nor was ambiguity, hypothesized as the depressed individual's c onflict between normative levels of support and those actually exchang ed. Thus the study did not support aversiveness or ambiguity as unique , interpersonal causal aspects of Coyne's model.