The recent shift in the delivery of mental health services from traditional inpatient care to community-based treatment has amplified the need for psychiatric-mental health nurses to develop effective strategies for depressed clients in community settings. This study examined characteristics of 126 depressed outpatients with and without prior hospitalization and compared the two groups on variables related to depression using Schlotfeldt's health-seeking model. Results for both groups showed that absence of depressive symptoms and learned resourcefulness were significant predictors of adaptive functioning. Social interest was significant only for those without prior hospitalization. These findings support the use interventions that minimize depressive symptoms, teach resourcefulness and encourage social interest in depressed outpatients.