Depression is highly prevalent in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). A reformulated version of the learned helplessness theory posits that individuals who attribute the cause of negative events to personal factors (internal), perceive that the cause persists for a long period of time (stable), and believe it is present in all situations (global) are at an increased risk for depression. As such, it is critical to examine possible modifiable factors that buffer against the deleterious effects of negative attributional style. Therefore, the current study investigated whether stress moderates the relationship between negative attributional style and depression symptoms in an MS sample.

Thirty-six pwMS (30 Female, 6 Male) completed a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery and psychosocial questionnaires that assessed cognitive attributional style, daily stressors, and depression symptoms. The Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ) was used to create internal, stable, and global attribution dimension scores, as well as an overall attributional style score combining the three dimensions. Stress was quantified as the total score of perceived hassles from the Hassles and Uplifts Scale (HUS). Depression symptoms were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory-Fast Screen (BDI-FS). Hierarchical linear regressions were conducted with depression symptoms as the outcome variable. Each dimension of attributional style (internal, stable, global, or overall ASQ), stress, and their interactions were included as predictors. Simple effects tests were used to clarify the pattern of any significant interaction.

Regression analyses revealed that the interaction between overall attributional style and stress was significant (p = .025). Simple effects tests revealed that overall attributional style was associated with depression symptoms only in pwMS with high levels of stress (p = .015). For the individual dimensions of the ASQ, several interactions were also significant. The interaction between the internal dimension and stress was significant (p= .009), such that internal attributions were associated with depression symptoms only in pwMS with high levels of stress (p = .002). The interaction between the stable dimension and stress was also significant (p = .01); stable attributional style was associated with depression symptoms only in pwMS with high levels of stress (p = .009). The interaction between the global dimension and stress was not significant.

Stress moderated the relationship between negative attributional style and depression symptoms in pwMS. Specifically, the internal and stable dimensions and overall attributional style were associated with increased depression symptoms only in pwMS who reported high levels of stress, but not in those with low levels of stress. Interventions aimed at reducing and managing stress may help protect against the effects of negative cognitive schemas on depression symptoms in MS. Additionally, previous research demonstrates that attributional style may be a malleable target of evidence-based psychotherapy (Seligman et al., 1988; Proudfoot et al., 2009). Our findings suggest that cognitive therapy specifically targeting the internal and stable dimensions of attributional style may be effective in modifying attributional style, perceptions of stress and, subsequently, improve depression outcomes in MS.