On the specific depressotypic nature of excessive reassurance-seeking

Excessive reassurance-seeking has been proposed as a key variable in the development of a depressive spiral in which a dysphoric individual increasingly alienates significant others and thereby compounds his or her own depressive symptoms. Whereas previous research has substantiated an association between reassurance-seeking and depression, this study sought to establish that this relationship is specific to depressive symptoms, rather than generalized psychopathology. One hundred and seventy-eight undergraduate students completed measures assessing reassurance-seeking behavior; current symptoms of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders; and personal and family history of diagnosed mental illness and suicide attempts. Partial correlations between reassurance-seeking and depression and suicide (controlling for other psychopathology) were compared with partial correlations between reassurance-seeking and other disorders (controlling for other psychopathology, including depression). Results generally supported depressotypic specificity of reassurance-seeking behaviors.