Anxiety, depression and anger: relationship between attributional style and negative emotions

Relationship between anxiety, depression and anger, the attributional style dimensions proposed by Abramson, Seligman and Teasdale (1978), and the learned helplessness emotional profile are studied in this paper. The following assessment instruments were used in this study: ISRA (Miguel Tobal y Cano Vindel, 1994), STAXI (Spielberger, 1988, 1991; Spanish version, Spielberger, Miguel Tobal, Cano Vindel, Casado, 1992), BDI (Beck, Rush, Shaw y Emery, 1979; Spanish version, Váquez y Sanz 1998), y ASQ (Seligman, Abramson, Semmel, von Baeyer 1979). Results show a clear relationship between anxiety, depression and anger, and a close relationship of these emotions with the helplessness attributional style. The emotional profile is characterized by a high level in cognitive anxiety and anxiety in daily life responses, a higher anger trait, a higher anger in expression and a lower anger- control, as well as high scores in depression.