The role of event-specific pessimistic inferences in the etiological chain of hopelessness depression

This study examined the role of event-specific pessimistic inferences (about causes, consequences, and the self) in relation to a major negative life event in the etiological chain of hopelessness depression, as postulated in the hopelessness theory. Moreover, the study tested whether hopelessness mediated the relation between event-specific pessimistic inferences and subsequent hopelessness depression. A nonclinical student sample completed self-report measures assessing pessimistic inferential style, event-specific pessimistic inferences, hopelessness, and hopelessness depression in a prospective design with three time points. Path analyses revealed that pessimistic inferential style predicted event-specific pessimistic inferences, which then predicted hopelessness, which in turn predicted subsequent hopelessness depression. Pessimistic inferential style did not predict hopelessness independently of event-specific inferences. Hopelessness mediated between event-specific pessimistic inferences and subsequent hopelessness depression. These findings provided support for the etiological process of hopelessness depression.