Relationship of Attributional Styles and Self Concept with Depression in School Going Children

The self-concept and causal attributions are both centrally implicated in various psychological disorders including depression. These patterns have been observed in both adult and children population. The present study attempted to explore this dynamic relationship in seventh and eighth grade school children. It was hypothesized that optimistic attributional style and self-concept would moderate children's scores on depression. Eighty children completed questionnaires on attributional styles, self-concept, and depression. The results did not support the hypothesis and children's scores on attributional styles were not related to depression. Both boys and girls tended to attribute negative events to external, stable, and specific causes. These differences in interrelationship of ·attributions and depression could be related to different cultural orientations which many studies have reported. Furthermore, self-concept emerged as a significant mediator to depression.