Relationship of Depression, Locus of Control and Loneliness
This study seeks to explore the relationship among Depression, Locus of Control and Loneliness in the adult population of Multan, a large city in southern Punjab. It is a small-scale quantitative study using regression analysis to understand the relationship between the three factors. The sample consisted of 80 individuals, 40 from the "normal" population and 40 from patients suffering from clinical depression as diagnosed by a qualified psychiatrist. These groups were further divided on the basis of gender - 20 males and 20 females in each group. The age- range was between 20-50 years with a mean age of 35 years. Only those patients were included in the study who were functionally literate in Urdu and could read and understand the language so that they could adequately respond to the self-report questionnaires. Despite this criteria majority of the sample population or their attendants were interviewed informally to ensure that appropriate data was collected. The sample was selected from two hospitals of Multan, one a major government teaching hospital and the other a private clinic. The control was matched with the sample population and was also selected from Multan city.
Depression is an emotional state marked by great sadness, feelings of worthlessness and guilt, withdrawal from others and loss of sleep, appetite, sexual desire, interest and pleasure in everyday activities. It was noticed that depressed individuals had certain common personality traits, one of them is the Locus of Control. Additionally, many studies reveal relationship between psychopathology and locus of control. Hence, in this study this factor was studied in relation to depression. The term locus of control is defined as individual's generalized expectancies regarding the forces that determine rewards and punishment. A locus of control can be Internal or External. In the former it is believed that the outcomes are contingent on what we do and in the latter the outcomes are determined by the events outsides our control such as, fate, chance, and luck. Loneliness can be defined as chronic, distressful mental state whereby an individual feels estranged from or rejected by peers and is starved for the emotional intimacy found in relationships.
Different tools were used to measure the three variables. Urdu version of Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) (revised 1971) was used to measure the level of depression. This inventory is a 21-item self-report questionnaire that assesses the presence and severity of cognitive, affective, motivational and physical symptoms of depression. Similarly the Urdu version of the Levenson Multidimensional Locus of Control Scale, which is based on the Social Learning Theory, was used to measure the Locus of Control. The reliability was determined for the overall scale as well as sub-scales. The Urdu version of the University of California Log Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness scale was used to measure the level of loneliness, which also has 21-items.
Results of the study reveal that there is a strong relationship between depression, locus of control and loneliness. It shows that people who are less assertive and lack social skills are more prone to depression which further leads to feelings of loneliness. Findings also suggest that there is a cause and effect relationship between these three variables i.e. depression, locus of control and loneliness. This study has implications for the adult population of urban cities including teachers. Adults with an internal locus of control are inclined to take responsibility for their actions while people with an external locus of control tend to blame outside circumstances for their mistakes. They credit their success to luck rather than their own efforts. They are readily influenced by the opinions of others and more likely to pay attention to the status of the opinion holder. So this study helps teachers to see children & adults according to their particular traits. Internals tend to be more success oriented & intelligent & less prone to depression & loneliness. On the contrary externals are not very intelligent and not success oriented and more prone to depression & loneliness. Teachers should consider these factors in character building of student & improving quality in education.