Compared West German and Egyptian depressive inpatients with regard to their control beliefs. The study was based on social-cognition theories of depression. Human subjects: 28 male and female West German adults (mean age 41 yrs) (major depressive disorder). 39 male and female Egyptian adults (mean age 32 yrs) (major depressive disorder). 32 male and female West German adults (mean age 42 yrs) (internal medicine inpatients) (control group). 33 male and female Egyptian adults (mean age 36 yrs) (internal medicine inpatients) (control group). The Ss completed measures of depression; hopelessness; and locus of control (internal, powerful others, or chance [IPC]). Intergroup differences in the results of the individual measures and in their intercorrelations were analyzed. Tests used: German and Arabic versions of the Beck Depression Inventory by T. Beck et al (1961), the Hopelessness Scale by Beck et al (1974), and the IPC-Scale by H. Levenson (1974). (English abstract)