Examined the relative importance of dependency, negative self-evaluation (NSE) and negative world view as personal deficits predisposing individuals to experience psychological distress. 49 clinically depressed (DEP) Ss (aged 18-35 yrs) and 154 nondepressed (NDEP) Ss (aged 19-32 yrs) were administered the Arabic version of Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) and a self-esteem scale. Clinically DEP Ss were more dependent, evaluated themselves more negatively, and expressed more negative world views than NDEP Ss. The dependency scores of DEP Ss were positively correlated with their scores on the BDI. This relationship did not hold for the NDEP Ss. The positive correlation between NSE and depression was stronger in the DEP Ss as compared to the NDEP Ss. Findings suggest that dependency and NSE may act as predisposing psychological factors for depression