When Does Self-Criticism Lead to Depression in Collectivistic Context

The study examined a research model predicting the moderating effect of interdependent self-construal on the relationship between internal self-criticism and depression. The participants were 319 college students from the Philippines. Data were collected using a self-reported questionnaire directly administered to the participants. The findings revealed that internal self-criticism, but not interdependent self-construal, predicted depression. Interdependent self-construal moderated the influence of internal self-criticism on depression, and showed that the influence of self-criticism on depression was weaker among individuals with high levels of interdependent self-construal. The findings were discussed in the context of cultural orientation in counseling practice.

Automated summary

This study examined the relationship between internal self-criticism and depression, and the moderating effect of interdependent self-construal. The findings showed that internal self-criticism predicted depression, while interdependent self-construal moderated its influence on depression.