• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.59-85
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• 2006

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.