The Cognitive, Learned-Helplessness and Hopelessness Theories of Depression: A Review with Implications for Counsellors

Four theories of depression and the Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ) are described and their implications for counselling discussed. Recent research has focused upon the testing of the diathesis-stress component of the reformulated learned-helplessness theory of depression, and in particular upon the role which a hypothesised depressogenic causal attributional style towards events in general, and/or 'depressive attributions' towards specific events, play in the development of depression. It is suggested that the recently revised version of this theory — the hopelessness theory of depression — is both a more fruitful area of future research and of more interest to the counsellor, since it emphasises the role which attributions and other cognitive factors play in the maintenance and prevention of depression, rather than concentrating on a continued search for a cause.