An assessment of social skills deficiencies in depression

Abstract

Lewinsohn's model of depression assigns to social skills deficiencies a major role in the development and maintenance of depressive disorders. In the present report, the social skills of depressives (under psychiatric care), social skills trainees (nonpsychiatric), and normal controls were assessed using the Social Situations Questionnaire (SSQ). Depressed patients and nondepressed social skills trainees reported a similar degree of difficulty in their social functioning and both differed significantly from normal controls. Further classification of the SSQ items into the categories of basic functions, social encounters, entertainment, interactive skills, and closeness of relationships revealed parallel trends for depressives and social skills trainees, thus also suggesting qualitative similarities between these groups. The finding that depressed patients and nondepressed social skills trainees exhibited similar difficulties suggests that social skills deficiencies may not be etiologically linked to depression but rather increase vulnerability to depressive disorders.