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Eastern Michigan University

Attributions others assign to depressed individuals and their relationship to severity of depressive symptoms, amount of contact, and familiarity with depressed individuals

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>While there has been valuable research critical for furthering our understanding of how an individual's social network affects recovery from depression, we need to know more about the interplay of other people's attributions and their relationships with depressed individuals that may impact recovery from the disorder. This research investigated causal and controllability attributions that others assign to individuals with depression by distributing a questionnaire to faculty and administrative staff at Eastern Michigan University to obtain ratings of attributions for depression. The level of intimacy within a relationship and the severity of depression were related to others' beliefs about the controllability of depressive symptoms. Exploring these relationships may expand our understanding of how and when specific attributions begin and how they change. This information may be useful in developing treatments for depression that not only help the individual suffering with the disorder but also others around the individual who are affected.</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science (MS)
Level thesis:degree_level
Open Access Thesis
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Psychology
Year dc:date.available
2005

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • McDowell, Joan E.
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Carol Freedman-Doan, PhD
  • Alida Westman, PhD
  • Michelle Byrd, PhD

Subjects

dc:subject × 1

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://commons.emich.edu/theses/533
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:commons.emich.edu:theses-1904

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Eastern Michigan University
Base URL
commons.emich.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

McDowell, Joan E.. Attributions others assign to depressed individuals and their relationship to severity of depressive symptoms, amount of contact, and familiarity with depressed individuals. Open Access Thesis thesis, 2005. https://commons.emich.edu/theses/533