Depression in college students : analysis of activity preference and comparison of treatment approaches

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
David V. Sheslow (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Marilyn Erickson

Abstract: The first goal of this study was to determine whether depressed and non-depressed college students could be discriminated on the basis of both the quantity and quality of reported everyday activities. Results of a multivariate discriminant analysis demonstrated that with the Inclusion of a large number of activity variables depressed students can be differentiated from non-depressed students. The second goal of the study was to compare the effectiveness of different therapy techniques in alleviating the reported depression of college students. Two behavioral treatment groups, a Reinforcement Training group which attempted to increase skills in audience behavior and a Programmed Activities group which attempted to directly manipulate the depressed individual's environment into a potentially more reinforcing one, were compared with two other treatment approaches, a Problem Ventilation group, which discussed current personal problems, a Childhood Experiences group which discussed early experiences and depressed and non-depressed No-Treatment control groups on measures of depression and activity preference. Results of the analyses showed that all of the depressed groups reported equivalent reductions in depression at the end of the study.

Additional Information

Publication
Thesis
Language: English
Date: 1974
Subjects
Depression, Mental $x Treatment
College students $x Psychology

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