Learned helplessness and urinary MHPG levels in unipolar depression

OBJECTIVE: Studies of the learned helplessness paradigm in laboratory animals show increased central noradrenergic activity following exposure to uncontrollable stressors. In clinical studies, depressed patients as a group report higher perceptions of helplessness and powerlessness. The authors examined the relationship between perceptions of powerlessness and noradrenergic activity in depressed patients. METHOD: Twenty drug-free patients (12 women and 8 men) meeting DSM-III criteria for major depressive disorder were given the Kobasa Hardiness Questionnaire, which contains subscales measuring feelings of powerlessness, security, and alientation. Concurrently, 24- hour urine samples were collected for measurement of urinary MHPG. RESULTS: Significant correlations were found between MHPG levels and total hardiness scores as well as between MHPG levels and total powerlessness scores but not between MHPG levels and total security or total alientation scores. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that depressed patients with high urinary output of MHPG are more likely to show the cognitive features of learned helplessness.