Cognitive Reactivity in Clinical Depression: An Assessment of Explicit and Implicit Dimensions, and their Association with Coping Behaviors
Date
2019-09-12
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Abstract
Scar theories of depression purport that each depressive episode produces a change in underlying causal factors that increase the risk of having future episodes. The dual process model of cognitive vulnerability of depression proposes that both explicit and implicit cognitive vulnerabilities play a role in the development of depression. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the existence of explicit and implicit cognitive ‘scars’ on coping-related cognitive contents, by testing the differential activation hypothesis, which proposes that the negative cognitive processes in those with a history of depression are more easily exacerbated by negative mood compared to those without a history of depression. The secondary purpose was to evaluate the relationships among mood, explicit and implicit coping-related cognitions and coping behaviors. The exploratory purpose was to delineate the nature of other-referent explicit cognitions. Currently depressed (CD, n = 42), previously depressed (PD, n = 61), and never depressed (ND, n = 62) participants were tested on computer-based paradigms designed to measure depression, mood, explicit and implicit cognitions, and self-reported engagement of coping behaviors. As hypothesized, explicit cognitive vulnerabilities universally existed among currently depressed individuals and partially existed among previously depressed individuals. Explicit cognitive ‘scars’ existed among previously depressed individuals with regard to emotional-related contents. Implicit cognitive compensation tendency existed among currently depressed individuals and implicit cognitive vulnerability tendency existed among previously depressed individuals on negative coping. Implicit cognitive ‘scars’ among previously depressed individuals existed on positive coping. Hypotheses regarding the relationships among depression, explicit and implicit cognitions, and coping behaviors were largely supported. Other-referent explicit cognitions are consistently positive across different coping contents, unaffected by mood nor history of depression. This study is the first evaluation of cognitive reactivity in clinical depression with coping-related cognitive contents, and on both explicit and implicit dimensions. The study provides novel insight into the cognitive vulnerabilities of depression and depression recurrence. The theoretical and clinical relevance of the findings, strengths and limitations of the study, and directions for future research are discussed.
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Keywords
depression, cognitive reactivity, implicit, coping
Citation
Li, X. (2019). Cognitive Reactivity in Clinical Depression: An Assessment of Explicit and Implicit Dimensions, and their Association with Coping Behaviors (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.