Journal of Pediatric Psychiatry, Vol 24, 259-270, Copyright © 1999 by Society of Pediatric Psychology
JM Chaney, LL Mullins, DL Uretsky, TM Pace, D Werden and VL Hartman
OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of experimentally induced learned
helplessness in older adolescents and young adults with long-standing
asthma. METHODS: Thirty-nine participants (18-24 years of age) with
histories of long-standing asthma (AS) and an age-matched healthy cohort
(HC) (N = 94) received either contingent or noncontingent feedback on an
experimental task. Participants' anagram-solving performance was assessed
following the experimental procedure. Participants also completed a measure
of depression and pretest- posttest measures of mood, expectancy, and
attributions related to experimental task performance. RESULTS: The AS
participants demonstrated significantly greater problem-solving deficits
following response-noncontingent feedback, compared to the HC group.
Further, whereas both AS and HC participants made more internal performance
attributions when given response-contingent feedback, only AS participants
demonstrated a pattern of increased internal attributions (i.e.,
self-focus) following response-noncontingent failure. In addition, 21% of
AS participants met DSM-IV criteria for major depression, compared to only
5% of the HC group. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with long-standing asthma may
be at increased risk for depression and for learned helplessness deficits,
specifically impaired problem solving, in response to environmental
noncontingency. Results are discussed in terms of both learned helplessness
theory and perseverative self-focus conceptualizations of depression. The
implications for both short- and long-term management of pediatric asthma
are also discussed.
ARTICLE
An experimental examination of learned helplessness in older adolescents and young adults with long-standing asthma
Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater 74078, USA.
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