Coping in depression: explanatory style and types of depressive experiences

This study investigates the relationships between verbal coping attitude, explanatory style and types of depressive experiences. Subjects were 43 adult participants in an open therapeutic group for mood disorders. The prevalent verbal coping attitude was verified during 13 sessions. Scales were used forevaluating explanatory style and types of depression. The pessimistic explanatory style occured, specially in the mixed type of depression. All participants with an introjective type of depression presented a comprehensive and resolutive coping attitude, which was also statistically related to transitory explanations for good events. Instead, "complainers" tended to believe in the causal stability for good situations. The discussion focuses on explanatory style and depression studies, emphasizing the importance of clinical intervention for coping and healthy development.

anaclitic and introjective depression; coping; explanations