Page No 225-229.
Mrinalini Purandare
S.N.D.T.Women’s University, Mumbai.
The aim of the study was to investigate the association between life events and
helplessness, therefore indirectly testing the diathesis stress model of helplessness.
In the study it was proposed that on the basis of explanatory style and depression
measures, adolescents can be correctly classified into helpless / non-helpless
groups. It was further proposed that dimensions of life events would be significant
correlates of adolescent helplessness. A sample of 473 adolescents both boys
and girls in the age range of 13 to 16 years was selected. The students were
studying in different geographical locations of Mumbai city and suburb. The
measures administered were: The Center for Epidemiological Studies – Depression
Child Test (CES-DC), the Children’s Attribution Style Questionnaire (CASQ) and
Presumptive Stressful Life-Events Scale (PSLE). The result of logistic regression
showed that on the basis of measure of depression and explanatory style 86.1%
of students were correctly classified into helpless and 78.5% of students were
correctly classified into non-helpless groups. On the factor of life events, the
dimensions of life events of the life time and undesirable life events emerged as
significant correlates of helplessness, therefore providing indirect support to the
diathesis stress model of helplessness-hopelessness