Depression and expectancies for the effectiveness of specific negative affect regulation strategies

Mood-regulation behaviors have been found to be associated with factors such as neuroticism and current negative affect. These individual-difference variables may play a role in the selection of coping behaviors: certain types of coping strategies have been found to be associated with higher levels of neuroticism and/or depressive symptoms. In the context of 72 adult cigarette smokers, patterns of coping behaviors and expectancies for their effectiveness were compared between those with a history of major depression and those without such a history. The relationships of current depressive symptoms, depression proneness, and neuroticism with these coping variables were also explored. The various indicators of depression showed significant relationships with certain coping behaviors, such as behaving passively, fading out, and withdrawing from the situation.