It has been demonstrated that levels of depression
are elevated in individuals diagnosed with
Schizophrenia. This monograph describes doctoral
research that investigated the role of hopelessness
in depression experienced by individuals with
Schizophrenia. High levels of hopelessness are
highlighted as a key factor mediating the difference
between depression scores of individuals with
Schizophrenia and those with no history of contact
with psychiatric services. Associations have
previously been noted between the individual's
personal beliefs about the illness and the
occurrence of depression following Schizophrenia.
It is proposed that these associations may in fact
be a statistical artefact of the relationship
between hopelessness and personal beliefs about the
illness. The potential interplay between depression,
hopelessness and self-harming behaviour in
individuals with Schizophrenia is discussed.