Date of Award

8-1-1996

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

Abstract

In the present study responses on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form (GDS- SF), and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CESD) were compared in 1,617 college undergraduates. Also, the "eveningness-morningness" dimension, as measured by the Horne and Ostberg guestionnaire (H&O), was examined among the "probably" depressed student population. In addition, the impact of the "probable" depression on performance on various memory tests at different times of day was investigated. Finally, performance of the "probably" depressed students was compared with performance of the nondepressed students. In the first part of the study 1,617 undergraduates were surveyed and 136 completed the second part. A series of mixed analyses of variance revealed that scores on the 3 depression scales were significantly correlated (correlation for BDI and GDS-SF r=.763, for BDI and CESD r=.778, for GDS-SF and CESD r=.726). Further, there were significant, negative correlations between the Horne and Ostberg guestionnaire scores and the responses on the 3 depression scales (for BDI r=-.174, GDS-SF r=-.182, CESD r=.-176). Also, the "probable" depression was related to performance on various memory tests among college students. The analysis of the number of words correctly recalled on

the California Verbal Learning Test revealed a significant main effect of group, F(1,130)=12.51, £<.001. The overall mean for nondepressed was M=11.48, for "probably" depressed M=10.36. Also, the analysis of the performance on the WAIS-R Digit Symbol test revealed a main effect of group, F(1,129)=20.54, £<.001. The overall mean for nondepressed was M=74.70, for "probably" depressed M=67.95. Discrepancies of the present results with other research findings in this area are discussed. In addition, conclusions and recommendations for future research are provided.

Download

Share

COinS