Brown and Harris (1978)

Question 1

Diathesis-stress model

Answer 1

attempts to explain a disorder as the result of an interaction between a
predisposition and stress caused by life experiences (individuals’ reaction to stressful events
depends on their genetic makeup and if an individual has a specific genotype, then interaction
with the environment may cause the gene to be expressed)

Question 2

Aim

Answer 2

: investigate how depression could be linked to social factors and stressful life-events in a
sample of women

Question 3

Procedure

Answer 3

Women surveyed on daily and depressive episodes, focusing on biographical details
- Later rated in severity by independent researchers
- Majority of women were classified as either depressed or had experienced an adverse life
event
- Social class-measured by husbands’ occupation- played a role of development of
depression in women with children. Working class women with children were four times
more likely to develop depression than middle- class
- Major factors that influenced depression were protective (protect against development of
depression, ex. Intimacy), vulnerability factors (increase risk, ex. Loss of family), and
provoking (contribute to ongoing stress, ex. Greif)

Question 4

Results

Answer 4

Social factors in the form of life-stressors could be linked to depression
- Low social status leads t increased exposure to vulnerability factors and provoking
agents, whereas high social status is associated with increased exposure to protective
factors

Question 5

Evaluation

Answer 5

First study that investigated social factors and life stressors associated with etiologyrecognized life events as provoking onsets to depression, provided a model for
investigative interrelationship between social stressors and depression
- Semi-structured interviews for in-depth understanding of individual- increasing
credibility
- Sample of only females so could not be generalized to men
- Based on self-report data and therefore it is impossible to accurately determine the actual
extent of depression for each of the women interviewed
- Correlational- no cause-and-effect relationship