Maladaptive emotion regulation strategies mediate the relationship between biased cognitions and depression

Abstract

Introduction

Depression has previously been found to emerge from and be perpetuated by negative cognitive biases. However, a plethora of underlying psychological mechanisms are likely to be involved in the relationship. The current study investigated whether maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies such as self-blame, rumination, and catastrophising may mediate the link between negative cognitive biases and depression.

Methods

Participants (n = 251) completed the study via the internet data collection software, Pavlovia. The Self-Referent Encoding Task was used to measure self-referential and memory biases while maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and depression were assessed using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and the Depression Anxiety Scales, respectively.

Results

Results showed that maladaptive strategies mediate the relationship between cognitive biases and depression. The tendency to blame oneself for playing an influential role in a negatively perceived life event seems to play a key role in the negative cognitive bias-depression relationship.

Conclusion

Therapists should consider focusing their efforts on reducing self-blame when clients demonstrate evidence of self-referential and memory bias. Interventions may include refocusing blame on others, rather than the self.