The Impacts of Social Problem Solving Capabilities and Hopelessness in Depression among Low-Income Residents

저소득층의 우울증에 대한 무망감과 사회적 문제해결능력의 영향

The purpose of this study was to identify how traumatic experiences and stresses caused hopelessness and depression among low-income residents, and to delineate what social problem solving capabilities might play roles in relation to the hopelessness theory of depression. For the purpose of the study, the target group of this study was restricted to adults over 20. This study recruited 175 low-income residents(the Beneficiary of National Basic Livelihood Security Act and the Near Poor Group) in Busan, Korea and employed a self-administered survey method during February, 2004. The following are the major results of the study. First, in low-income subjects, stresses showed positive influences on hopelessness. Second, in low-income subjects, stresses and hopelessness showed positive influences on depression. Third, stress influenced depression with hopelessness as the intervening variable, but it was not statistically significant path in traumatic experiences. The hopelessness theory of depression is to test whether the individuals who have negative attributional style and experience negative life events are likely to make negative attributions for the negative events they confront. The present study, using low-income residents, found that negative life experience predict negative attributions without negative attributional style. Fourth, social problem solving capabilities buffered the relationship between stress and hopelessness. It was also significant subscales apart from Positive Problem Orientation and Negative Problem Orientation. Fifth, social problem solving capabilities buffered the relationship between hopelessness and depression. It was also significant subscales apart from Negative Problem Orientation and Impulsivity/Carelessness Style. Based on the results, practice implications by identifying what social problem solving capabilities might play roles in hopelessness theory of depression were discussed.

본 연구는 우울증에 대한 무망감 이론을 근거로 하여 저소득층의 외상과 스트레스 같은 부정적 생활 경험과 매개변인으로 제안된 무망감을 통하여 우울증이 유발되는지를 확인하고, 이 구조에서 사회적 문제해결능력의 영향을 파악하는 것이다. 연구대상은 20세 이상의 국민기초생활보장법상 수급권자와 자활후견기관과 연계된 차상위계층 175명이다. 연구결과, 저소득층의 스트레스는 무망감에 정적 영향을 미치며, 스트레스와 무망감은 우울증에 정적 영향을 나타내었다. 또한 우울증에 대한 무망감 이론을 근거로 제안된 스트레스는 무망감을 매개변인으로 우울증에 영향을 미치는 경로를 나타내었다. 이러한 구조에서 사회적 문제해결능력은 스트레스가 무망감에 미치는 영향과 무망감이 우울증에 미치는 영향을 감소하는 요인으로 밝혀졌다. 이러한 결과를 바탕으로 저소득층의 무망감과 우울증에 대한 실천개입의 강조와 정신건강증을 위한 함의들이 논의되었다.