THE RESPONSE STYLES THEORY OF DEPRESSION - TESTS AND AN EXTENSION OF THE THEORY

The authors tested and extended S. Nolen-Hoeksema's (1991) response st yles (RSs) theory of depression by assessing the role of RSs in the on set of depressive episodes (DEs), controlling for the effects of concu rrent depression, examining the dispositional aspects of RS, clarifyin g the role of distraction in the course of a DE, and studying the pred ictive validity of the Response Styles Questionnaire. Nondepressed (ND ) participants who reported that they ruminate in response to their de pressive symptoms were more likely to experience a DE over 18 months t han were participants who reported that they distract themselves from their symptoms. Both a ruminative RS as measured in an ND state and th e use of rumination during the first DE predicted the severity of that episode. In contrast, neither trait nor state rumination predicted th e duration of the first DE. Participants showed moderate stability of RSs over 1 year and responded in a consistent manner when depressed.