Relation of Depression and Dysfunctional Career Thinking to Career Indecision

Abstract

Depression and dysfunctional career thinking were investigated as components of the state of career indecision. The participants were 215 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory psychology course at a large southeastern university. The Career Decision Scale was used to measure career indecision, whereas the Beck Depression Inventory and Career Thoughts Inventory were used to measure depression and dysfunctional career thinking respectively. The relative contribution of depression, dysfunctional career thoughts, and selected control variables were ascertained through hierarchical regression. Results support the existence of dysfunctional career thoughts as a significant component of career indecision. Depression associated significantly with career indecision yet captured no significant independent variation in the regression model. Implications for career assessment and career counseling are discussed.