Masters Thesis

The Life Attitudes Schedule and the relationship between health-related actions and depression : a 90-day test-retest with college-aged females

This study was an attempt to understand the relationship between health-related positive and negative actions and depression in 106 young adult females, over a 90-day test-retest period. Health-related behavior was defined and assessed using the Life Attitudes Schedule (LAS) (Lewinsohn, Langhinrichsen-Rohling, Langford, Rohde, Seeley, Chapman, 1995). The LAS is a 144-item self-report questionnaire intended to measure both life-threatening and life-enhancing behaviors, as they relate to depression, suicide, and other risk-taking behaviors. Results indicated that practicing positive health-related behavior correlated with lower levels of concurrent depression and that practicing fewer or negative health-related behavior correlated with higher levels of concurrent depression. In addition, the initial practice of positive health-related behavior correlated with lower subsequent depression, while initial practice of negative health-related behavior correlated with higher levels of subsequent depression. Also, initial depression correlated with fewer positive and more negative subsequent health-related behaviors. Two health-related action items were significant predictors of subsequent depression, and initial depression was a significant predictor of three health-related action items. These correlations indicated significant relationships between positive health-related actions and lower levels or subclinical levels of depression. These results are clinically valuable in recognizing the potential effects of health-related behavior on depression and in recognizing the potential effect depression has on health-related behavior.

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