Citation

Hartley SL, Lickel AH, MacLean WE. J. Intellect. Disabil. Res. 2008; 52(11): 917-929.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1365-2788.2008.01126.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Background  Adults with intellectual disability (ID) experience a high prevalence of depression. Yet, little research has investigated interpersonal processes related to depression in this population. In the general population, depressed persons behave in ways that elicit negative and rejecting reactions from others. In particular, excessive reassurance seeking, defined as excessively and persistently seeking assurance from others that one is lovable and worthy, indirectly contributes to depressive symptoms through evoking negative and rejecting social interactions. We examined the relation between excessive reassurance seeking, negative and rejecting social interactions and depression in adults with mild ID.