Suicide and depression among college students.

We surveyed 962 college students from three institutions in regard to their experiences with depression and suicide. Results indicate that incidents of depression and suicide are prevalent on college campuses and that there are a number of specific causes of depression, suicidal ideation, and suicidal behavior. Suicide attempters are compared with nonattempters, institutions are compared, and institutional implications for colleges and universities are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Suicide and depression among college students: A decade later.

Are suicidal thoughts and depression increasing or decreasing among college students? What life circumstances are the most critical to explore with depressed or suicidal college students? This article focuses on the rate of self-assessed depression and suicide among college students and examines contributing factors and help-seeking behavior. Results of the study indicated that 53% of the sample stated that they experienced depression since beginning college, with 9% reporting that they had considered committing suicide since beginning college. Suggestions for college mental health practitioners related to programming, prevention, and psychoeducation are described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Suicidality and cognitive vulnerability to depression among college students: a prospective study

Using a behavioral high-risk two-site prospective design, we tested the cognitive vulnerability hypotheses about suicidality. Consistent with prediction, the high cognitive risk (HR) participants were more likely than the low cognitive risk (LR) participants to exhibit suicidality, measured by both structured diagnostic interview and questionnaire self-report, during the 2 1/2 year prospective follow-up period. Moreover, when the prospective period was examined as a whole, the mediation hypothesis derived from the cognitive theories was strongly supported. Hopelessness appeared to mediate the obtained relationship between cognitive vulnerability and suicidality. Finally, the obtained relationship between cognitive vulnerability and suicidality was not mediated by other hypothesized risk factors for suicidality not specified in the cognitive theories, such as past suicidality, personal history of depressive disorders, borderline and antisocial personality dysfunction, and parental history of depression.     

Interpersonal concomitants and antecedents of depression among college students.

Depressed college students were compared with other-psychopathology and normal controls regarding the relationship they developed with dormitory roommates during a 9-month period. Diagnostic status was periodically assessed via SADS interviews, thus also permitting identification of new cases of depression during the year. Psychosocial characteristics found to be uniquely associated with current depression were: (a) low social contact with roommates, (b) low enjoyability of these contacts, and (c) high life-event stress. Roommates of depressives reported low enjoyability of the relationship and high levels of aggressive behavior towards the depressive. No features were found to be uniquely associated with new cases before they became depressed; however, several antecedents of general psychopathology were identified. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Executive cognitive function and heavy drinking behavior among college students.

Executive cognitive functions (ECFs) seem important for motivating change and self-regulation of problem drinking. Evidence for executive cognitive deficits have been found among heavy-drinking college students. Although college students who abuse alcohol often experience a variety of negative consequences related to their drinking behavior, executive cognitive dysfunction may interfere with recognizing consequences and responding skillfully to avoid future harm. Fifty college students with drinking problems completed assessments of ECFs. Greater negative drinking consequences and short-term memory function significantly predicted greater awareness of drinking problems. ECF may be an important factor for motivation to change drinking behavior among college students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Experience of depression in college students: A concept map.

Discusses previous depression-related research, which has emphasized conceptual and measurement issues; consequent lack of understanding of the experience of depression is suggested. Concept mapping, an alternative methodological approach combining qualitative and quantitative strategies, was used to clarify the scope and interrelations among elements of the experience of depression in 78 college students. Whereas participants' experience of depression included affective and somatic symptoms consistent with generally accepted diagnostic criteria, the experience of depression was not limited to these domains. Findings are discussed as they relate to depression research and counseling practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive, assertive, and insight-oriented group therapies in the treatment of reactive depression in women.

33 nonpsychotic, nonsuicidal women (mean age 35.1 yrs) who scored between 15 and 31 on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and whose depression was situationally related were assigned to 6-wk cognitive, assertive, or insight-oriented group therapy. Ss were administered a standardized interview, BDI, Rathus Assertiveness Schedule, Personality Data Form, and 4 tape-recorded scenes requiring an assertive response before and after the groups and at a 2-mo follow-up. Results show all groups improved significantly in depression, rationality, and assertiveness. Assertive and insight groups improved significantly more in rationality regarding acceptance than the cognitive group. At follow-up, none of the assertive groups, 18% of the cognitive group, and 45% of the insight group had sought further treatment. Additionally, the assertive group was significantly more rational regarding frustrating events and self-worth. The assertive and insight groups made significantly more gains and were more assertive than the cognitive group. A 3 (change in depression) by 3 (treatment group) ANOVA showed high-depression-change and medium-depression-change Ss changed significantly more in assertiveness and rationally than low-depression change Ss. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Premarital sexual standards among U.S. college students: comparison with Russian and Japanese students

The study of the sexual permissiveness of young adults has been popular topic in sociology and social psychology, especially since the empirical and theoretical work of Reiss. We extended previous research on premarital sexual standards by examining the degree of sexual permissiveness and the endorsement of the traditional double standard in a large sample of young adults in the United States (N = 1043). In addition, comparative data were collected from young adults in two other countries: Russia (N = 401) and Japan (N = 223). American subjects expressed more acceptance of premarital sex than did the Russian and Japanese subjects. Men were more sexually permissive than women in the U.S. and in Russia but not in Japan. The degree to which the double standard was endorsed also depended on culture and gender. Russian subjects were more likely to endorse the double standard than Japanese and American subjects. However, American men were most likely to endorse the traditional double standard concerning sex early in the dating relationship.     

A comparison of identity and intimacy statuses in college students and alumni.

Previous research has shown that empirical tests of E. H. Erikson's (1963) psychosocial theory have yielded limited information on development after the college years. In the present study, the effect of college graduation on the identity and intimacy crises of 93 college seniors and 66 24–27 yr old alumni from the same university was studied. College graduation was regarded as a life transition that would stimulate growth in the areas of identity and intimacy. It was hypothesized that more alumni than students would be located in the more mature statuses. Ss were given measures of identity status and intimacy status. Four areas of identity were rated: achievement, moratorium, foreclosed, and diffuse. Intimacy status was rated in terms of the categories of intimate, merger, pre-intimate, pseudo-intimate, and stereotyped and isolated. Findings show that in all areas, alumni were in the identity achievement status more frequently than were college students, who, in turn, were more frequently foreclosed. Differences in the other 2 identity statuses varied by identity area. Alumni were more frequently in the intimacy statuses of intimate and merger, whereas more students were rated as preintimate or low in intimacy. Intimacy was related to identity status only for alumni. Results support the hypothesis and suggest greater commitment on identity than intimacy for students. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alienation in college students: A comparison of counseling seekers and nonseekers.

Investigated alienation level in 100 undergraduates who sought personal adjustment or vocational-educational counseling and 50 who did not seek counseling. A battery of tests, including the Lowe and Damankos Anomie Scale, Berger Self-Acceptance Scale, Dean Social Isolation Scale, and Keniston Cultural Alienation and Cultural Commitment Scales were used to assess degree of general, self-, interpersonal, and cultural alienation, respectively. Although results of a factorial analysis of variance indicate that Ss who sought counseling reported more pronounced feelings of alienation on all scales than Ss who did not seek counseling, differences were due mainly to the elevated scores of the personal adjustment group. (25 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An innovative approach to short-term group cognitive therapy in the combined treatment of anxiety and depression.

Twenty-six adult outpatients completed a 12-session group cognitive therapy program specifically designed to conjointly treat individuals with comorbid depressive and anxiety symptoms. The program takes a content specificity approach, differentially treating depression and anxiety from a cognitive therapy perspective. Participants showed significant improvement on measures of depression, anxiety, and dysfunctional attitudes from pre- to posttest. Findings suggest clinical and practical utility for this intervention and support the use of combination therapeutics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trust and self-disclosure among black college students.

Investigated 2 models of counseling to determine which best facilitated self-disclosure and trust in 18 black undergraduates. One model involved professional counselors; the other consisted of minimally trained peer counselors. Ss were systematically assigned to 1 of the 2 models and exposed to 5 60-min counseling sessions with either a professional or a peer counselor. It was hypothesized that persons participating in a peer counseling experience will trust and self-disclose at a higher level than persons participating in a professional counseling experience. Data from the Self-Disclosure Questionnaire and J. B. Rotter's 1967 Interpersonal Trust Scale did not support the hypothesis. Both groups disclosed and trusted at a significantly higher level after treatment. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive versus behavioral–interpersonal approaches to the group treatment of depressed college students.

Treated matched groups of 38 depressed undergraduates by behavioral–interpersonal (B–I) and cognitive treatments, each under 2 conditions. Both kinds of treatment proved more effective than no treatment, with some evidence of superiority of the B–I approach. The group treated by the B–I method under intensive conditions made the greatest absolute gains on self-report measures of depression (e.g., Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale) and also became the most interpersonally skillful. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Integrative cognitive therapy for depression: A randomized pilot comparison.

This pilot study examined the efficacy of an integrative form of cognitive therapy (ICT) for depression that incorporates specific strategies for addressing alliance ruptures. Although a previous study on depression found that ICT was superior to a wait-list condition (L. G. Castonguay et al., 2004), the current study provides the 1st direct comparison between ICT and traditional cognitive therapy (CT). Twenty-two depressed adults were randomly assigned to ICT or CT (11 patients per condition), which were delivered by clinicians in training. Outcome was assessed with a specific depression measure and a global symptomatology measure. The groups were also compared on patient-perceived alliance quality and therapist empathy. Effect size estimates revealed that ICT patients evidenced greater posttreatment improvement on both outcome measures (with small to medium effects) and more clinically significant change than did CT patients. ICT patients also had higher alliance and empathy scores across treatment (with medium to large effects). The findings, albeit very preliminary, support the potential viability of ICT and the potential causal influence of the rupture-repair interventions on treatment process and outcome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Suicidal ideation among college students in the United States.

This study analyzed data from the 1995 National College Health Risk Behavior Survey (NCHRBS) to assess the prevalence of suicidal ideation among college students in the United States and to examine the association between suicidal ideation and substance use in this population. The NCHRBS used a mail questionnaire to assess health-risk behaviors in a nationally representative sample of undergraduate students. During the 12 months preceding the survey, 10% of the students had seriously considered attempting suicide. When controlling for demographic characteristics, the analysis showed that students who had considered suicide were at increased odds of using tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs. These results suggest that colleges and universities should establish suicide prevention programs that also address the related problem of substance use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparison of Anglo- and Mexican-American college students on locus of control.

Data from 47 Anglo and 47 Mexican-American college students matched for sex and socioeconomic background show that Mexican-American Ss scored significantly less external on the full Rotter Internal-External Control Scale and on 2 of the 5 dimensional categories (respect and luck and fate). Findings not only contradict the stereotype that Mexican-Americans are fatalistic but also suggest that their culture contributes to a greater perception of internal control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Progression of consequences among heavy-drinking college students.

Among a sample of 180 male and 226 female undergraduates, 84.2% reported a heavy drinking episode (5+ drinks for men, 4+ for women) within the previous 90 days. Principal-components analysis revealed 3 alcohol-related problem factors among the heavy drinkers (Careless Behavior, Risky/Reckless Behavior, and Authority Problems). Nearly all heavy drinkers experienced a careless behavior that was due to drinking (92.7%), and many reported a risky/reckless behavior (60.2%), yet only one third (33.9%) experienced an authority problem. Guttman scaling procedures revealed a progression from Careless Behavior to Reckless/Risky Behavior to an Authority Problem. Heavy drinkers with an authority problem drank more frequently, consumed more when drinking, endorsed more alcohol expectancies, and reported earlier ages of initial and regular drinking than other groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dimensions of job incentives among college students.

Job goals at graduation were described, and 8 selected job incentive statements were ranked by college Ss. Factor analysis of intercorrelations among the ranked incentives yielded 3 factors tentatively identified as: need achievement vs. fear of failure, interest in the job vs. the job as an opportunity for acquiring status, and job autonomy of supervision vs. supervisor dependency. "A content analysis of incentive statements contributed by 29% of the ranking Ss (N = 267) gave three major categories: opportunity to help others, job satisfaction, and job interest and variety." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)