DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AS A FUNCTION OF TRAIT ANXIETY AND IMPULSIVITY

This research examined differences in depressive symptomatology as ass essed by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in a large sample (n = 26 7) of young adults who scored in the upper ranges on trait anxiety and /or impulsivity measures. Given previous research which has identified anxiety and impulsivity as important organizing dimensions for person ality, personality pathology, and behavior, a goal of this present res earch was to identify specific depressive symptoms that were uniquely associated with either anxiety or impulsivity. Results indicated that the presence of impulsivity without coexisting anxiety was associated with the endorsement of fewer depressive symptoms and lower BDI scores . An examination of specific depressive symptoms as a function of anxi ety and impulsivity revealed three general response patterns across 20 of the 21 BDI items. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons. Inc.