Abstract
Little is known about the relation between individual differences in emotion regulation (ER) and the maintenance of clinical depression. This study examined whether frequency of use of four ER strategies (i.e., cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, reflection, and brooding) predicts recovery from a major depressive episode. At an initial appointment (Time 1), participants diagnosed with current major depressive disorder completed measures assessing symptom severity and use of ER strategies. Six months later (Time 2), participants were reassessed to determine diagnostic status (i.e., recovered or non-recovered). Results demonstrated that, after controlling for symptom severity, use of ER strategies predicted recovery status at Time 2. Specifically, use of reflection at Time 1 was a unique and significant predictor of greater chance for recovery. Results indicate that ER strategies may be utilized to predict long-term symptom maintenance and provide support for the proposition that reflection may be used adaptively among individuals diagnosed with depression.
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Notes
The predictive ability of the four ER strategies without controlling for Time 1 symptom severity was also examined. Results mirrored the primary analyses with reflection being the only significant predictor (β = .23, χ2 (1, N = 40) = 4.36, P < .05). No other ER strategies significantly predicted recovery status (all P’s > .05).
Because gender was found to be marginally related to recovery status, we further examined the predictive ability of reflection, controlling for both Time 1 BDI-II scores and gender. A logistic regression was conducted, entering BDI-II scores and gender in Block 1 and the four ER strategies in Block 2. Even after controlling for gender, reflection was still found to significantly predict recovery status (β = .28, χ2 (1, N = 38) = 4.43, P < .05). None of the other ER strategies were found to be significant predictors (all P’s > .05).
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Arditte, K.A., Joormann, J. Emotion Regulation in Depression: Reflection Predicts Recovery from a Major Depressive Episode. Cogn Ther Res 35, 536–543 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-011-9389-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-011-9389-4