The Hopelessness Theory of Depression: A Quarter-Century in Review

Since the formulation of the hopelessness theory of depression (Psychological Review, 96, 1989, 358) a quarter‐century ago, it has garnered considerable interest. The current article presents a systematic review of this theory, including its subsequent elaborations (Rose and Abramson's [Rochest...

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Published in:Clinical psychology (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2015-12, Vol.22 (4), p.345-365
Main Authors: Liu, Richard T., Kleiman, Evan M., Nestor, Bridget A., Cheek, Shayna M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Century in review
Cognitive therapy
cognitive vulnerability
depression
hopelessness theory
inferential style
Systematic review
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Summary:Since the formulation of the hopelessness theory of depression (Psychological Review, 96, 1989, 358) a quarter‐century ago, it has garnered considerable interest. The current article presents a systematic review of this theory, including its subsequent elaborations (Rose and Abramson's [Rochester Symposium of Developmental Psychopathology, 1992, University of Rochester Press, Rochester, NY] developmental elaboration; Abela and Sarin's [Cognitive Therapy and Research, 26, 2002, 811] weakest link approach; Panzarella, Alloy and Whitehouse's [Cognitive Therapy and Research, 30, 2006, 307] expansion of the hopelessness theory; and the hopelessness theory of suicide (Suicide Science: Expanding Boundaries, 2000, Kluwer Academic, Boston]), followed by recommendations for future study. Although empirical support was consistently found for several major components of the hopelessness theory, further work is required assessing this theory in relation to clinically significant phenomena. Among the most significant hindrances to advancement in this area is the frequent conceptual confusion between the hopelessness theory and the reformulated learned helplessness theory.
ISSN:0969-5893
1468-2850
DOI:10.1111/cpsp.12125