Department of Psychology, University of Évora, Évora, Portugal.
Depress Anxiety. 2010 Dec;27(12):1149-57. doi: 10.1002/da.20763.
This study examined a theoretically based mediation model including participants' perceptions of early relationships with their mother, self-criticism, dependency, and current depressive symptoms. We expect that (a) early relationships characterized by low levels of care and high levels of overprotection will be positively associated with both current depressive state and self-criticism and dependency; (b) high levels of self-criticism and dependency will be positively associated with depressive symptoms; and (c) self-criticism and dependency will play a mediating role in the association between participants' perceptions of early relationships characterized by low levels of care and high levels of overprotection and their current depressive symptoms.
A nonclinical community sample of 200 Portuguese adults participated in the study. Perceptions of early relationships were measured using the mother scales of the Parental Bonding Instrument (Parker et al. [1979: Br J Med Psychol 52:1-10]), levels of self-criticism and dependency were measured using the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (Blatt et al. [1976: J Abn Psy 6:383-389]), and depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for the Epidemiological Studies of Depression Scale (Radloff [1977: Appl Psychol Meas 1:385-401].
Structural equation modeling showed that the link between participants' perceptions of early caretaking relationships with their mothers and their current depressive symptoms is mediated by high levels of self-criticism--a personality trait associated with vulnerability to depression--but not Dependency. However, an ancillary analysis indicated that the link between participants' perceptions of early maternal overprotective relationships and their current depressive symptoms is mediated by high levels of Neediness.
Findings underscore the role of perceived early relationships in psychological vulnerability to depression among highly self-critical and among highly needy individuals and highlight the negative role played by perceived mothers' early dysfunctional practices, characterized by low levels of caring and high levels of overprotection, for the self-critical vulnerability to depression and by perceived mothers' high levels of overprotection, for the neediness vulnerability to depression. These potential causal mechanisms warrant longitudinal evaluation. Theoretical and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.
本研究考察了一个基于理论的中介模型，包括参与者对其与母亲早期关系的看法、自我批评、依赖性和当前抑郁症状。我们预计：(a) 早期关系的特点是关爱程度低和过度保护程度高，将与当前抑郁状态和自我批评及依赖性呈正相关；(b) 高水平的自我批评和依赖性将与抑郁症状呈正相关；(c) 自我批评和依赖性将在参与者对关爱程度低和过度保护程度高的早期关系的看法与他们当前的抑郁症状之间的关联中起中介作用。
一项针对 200 名葡萄牙成年人的非临床社区样本参与了这项研究。早期关系的看法是使用父母养育方式问卷（Parker 等人，1979 年：英国医学心理学杂志 52:1-10）的母亲量表来衡量的，自我批评和依赖性的水平是使用抑郁体验问卷（Blatt 等人，1976 年：异常心理学杂志 6:383-389）来衡量的，抑郁症状是使用抑郁流行病学研究量表（Radloff，1977 年：应用心理测量学 385-401）来衡量的。
结构方程模型显示，参与者对其与母亲早期照顾关系的看法与他们当前的抑郁症状之间的联系是由高水平的自我批评所中介的——自我批评是一种与易患抑郁症有关的人格特质——而不是依赖性。然而，一项辅助分析表明，参与者对其母亲早期过度保护关系的看法与他们当前的抑郁症状之间的联系是由高水平的需求所中介的。
研究结果强调了早期关系在高度自我批评和高度需要的个体对抑郁的心理脆弱性中的作用，并强调了早期母亲功能失调行为的消极作用，其特点是关爱程度低和过度保护程度高，对自我批评易患抑郁症和对母亲过度保护，对需求易患抑郁症。这些潜在的因果机制需要进行纵向评估。讨论了研究结果的理论和临床意义。
