Final answer:
The development of depression can be influenced by dysfunctional attitudes and hopelessness attributes, as outlined by the hopelessness theory. Negative attribution styles and personality traits like neuroticism are risk factors, and having multiple negative emotional states further increases vulnerability to depression and chronic disease. Developing healthy attribution habits can reduce this vulnerability.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to recent research on the development of depression, factors constituting vulnerability to depression include dysfunctional attitudes and hopelessness attributes. For instance, if an individual attributes a negative event to internal, stable, and global causes (e.g., believing the cause of a poor exam score is due to their own unchanging lack of intelligence), they are likely to feel a lack of control, contributing to a vulnerability to depression. This stems from the hopelessness theory, which is an evolution of Seligman's learned helplessness model, where depressive attribution styles - internal, global, and stable attributions for negative life events - foster a sense of hopelessness. On the other hand, personality traits like neuroticism have also been found to be risk factors for depression and chronic health problems.
Moreover, the interaction of multiple negative emotional states, such as depression, anxiety, and hostility, has been shown to contribute to elevated risks for physical illnesses like heart disease. Consequently, fostering healthy attribution habits and reducing disease-prone personality characteristics is imperative for diminishing the susceptibility to depression as well as improving overall psychological resilience.