Constructs and 'conflict' in depression.

The relationship between the nature of self-constructs and the level of 'conflict' in depression was discussed. It was hypothesized that depressed patients would have lower self-esteem and a less differentiated self-construct system characterized by a higher level of intensity and a lower percentage of 'conflict' than non-depressed individuals. After drug therapy, it was expected that these differences would diminish - although not entirely - on the grounds that the differences are a more permanent feature of the self-construct system of the depressed-prone individual. A sample of 16 depressed patients (13 in-patients and three out-patients) were given a 'Multiple Perception of the Self' grid at the start of drug therapy. After six/eight weeks of treatment, a further grid was administered and new constructs elicited. A retest grid was administered after a short interval of 12-24 hours. The same procedure was carried out with a group of 16 non-depressed individuals - matched as far as possible for age, sex, intelligence and social class. The results offered strong support for the hypotheses.