Dependent and Self-critical vulnerabilities to depression in two different cultural contexts

Abstract

The current study investigated the Dependency and Self-critical personality vulnerabilities to depression among Bedouin and Jewish university students. Culture was expected to play a moderating role in the association between self-criticism and Depression. Ninety-six Bedouin students and ninety-six Jewish students completed the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ) the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D), and Demographics. An Arabic-language version of the DEQ was created and found to be a reliable and valid instrument for assessing Dependency and Self-criticism. Bedouin students were found to present high levels of Self-criticism and Depression. The moderating role of culture was demonstrated. The contribution of the study of vulnerabilities to Depression in different cultures to the understanding of the complex interplay of personality traits and environmental conditions is discussed.