DISTINGUISHING AMONG ANTECEDENTS, CONCOMITANTS, AND CONSEQUENCES OF PROBLEM-SOLVING APPRAISAL AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS

In the present study, a prospective design was used and data were collected from 277 introductory Psychology students to distinguish among the antecedents, concomitants, and consequences of problem-solving appraisal and depression. The results of structural equation path analyses provide preliminary evidence that self-appraised ineffective problem-solving ability is an antecedent that may play a causal role in predicting future depressive symptoms. However, the results also suggest that problem-solving appraisal is a concomitant of depressive symptoms such that the experience of depressive symptoms may cause temporary deficits in self-appraisal of problem-solving ability.