Blatt’s (1974, 1991) theory of depression focuses on two trait vulnerabilities: self-criticism (an inclination to feelings of guilt and failure stemming from unrealistically high expectations for oneself) and dependency (a disposition to feelings of helplessness and fears of abandonment resulting from a preoccupation with relationships). These constructs are similar, although not identical, to Beck’s (1983) constructs of autonomy and sociotropy. Studies indicate that the link between dependency and depressive disorders is relatively weak and nonspecific, whereas self-criticism has been established as an important and specific factor in these conditions (Zuroff et al. 2004). Both traits have been conceptualized as dynamic predispositions to depressive disorders, and there is some support for this view, including evidence of transactions with life stress as well as environmental mediation and moderation of personality effects (Zuroff et al. 2004). Self-criticism, and to a lesser extent dependency, have also been found to predict future increases in depressive symptoms. In addition, there is evidence that dependency predicts the subsequent onset of major depression in older, but not younger, individuals (Hirschfeld et al. 1989, Rohde et al. 1990). The
