A Prospective Test of an Integrative Interpersonal Theory of Depression: A Naturalistic Study of College Roommates

This study tested an integrated interpersonal theory of depression, which combines J. C. Coyne's (1976b) interpersonal theory of depression with work on the interplay between self-enhancement and self-consistency theory. Students' (targets') and their same-gender roommates' appraisals of each other, depression and anxiety levels, reassurance seeking, and negative feedback seeking were assessed at Time 1 (T1), and again at Time 2 (T2), 3 weeks later. Consistent with the theoretical integration (a) Depressed targets reported engaging in more negative feedback seeking than nondepressed targets, and tended to report seeking more reassurance than nondepressed targets at T1; (b) For male (but not female) targets, the combination of negative feedback seeking, high reassurance seeking, and depression at T1 predicted T1 to T2 increases in rejection by roommates; and (c) Rejection effects applied to depressive symptoms, but not anxious symptoms or anhedonic mood.