Objectives: Beck (1983) claimed that personality style of sociotropy and autonomy ia a vulnerable factor for depression that interacts with stress congruent with the same personality style. Method: This study investigates the role of stress, sociotropy and autonomy in depression in a retrospective and case – control design. 156 major depressed patients were compared with 78 never depressed and normal people based on sex, age, life events, sociotropy and autonomy, congruent stresses. Finding: Results showed that depressed patients experienced significantly more stresses than normals. Also, sociotrop and autonomous patients had experienced significantly different stresses that were congruent with their personality style. Conclusion: Results supported the role of stress in depression and congruency hypothesis that Beck asserted