*Early maladaptive schemas, high harm [correction made here after initial online publication] avoidance and low self-directedness may be a part of vulnerability to depression. *The finding of these personality characteristics in subjects recovered from depression indicates malfunctioning to some degree. *Addressing such characteristics in therapy should be considered in order to prevent and treat depression from its relapsing and recurring course.
The Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS) and the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ) have been suggested as vulnerability markers for depression and entrenched psychological disorders, respectively. One-hundredand-fifteen clinically depressed (CDs), previously depressed (PDs), and never depressed individuals completed the DAS, the YSQ, and the Beck Depression Inventory in the index study, and were followed up 9 years later in relation to diagnostic status, depression severity and course of depression. From multiple regression analyses YSQ domain scales emerged as significant predictors of concurrent depression severity in the index study, and depression severity and episodes of Major Depression, 9 years later. A majority of CDs and PDs experienced a recurrent depression over 9 years. The findings indicate that YSQ scales are promising as vulnerability markers for depression and underscore a conceptualisation of depression as a serious disorder due to its highly recurrent course, and highlight the necessity to identify and tackle long-term vulnerability factors.
There is a lack of consensus upon a conclusive cognitive profile characterizing unipolar major depression. Currently depressed (n = 37), recovered previously depressed (n = 81), and never depressed controls (n = 50) underwent assessment of executive functions, working memory, attention, and psychomotor speed. Currently depressed yielded significantly lower test scores than previously and never depressed subjects on a measure of working memory. Both currently depressed and previously depressed scored significantly lower than never depressed subjects on measures of processing speed. Recurrent depressed performed similarly to subjects with a single depressive episode. These findings indicate a mild and limited cognitive impairment during the course of a mild to moderate major depressive disorder among relatively young adults. Impaired processing speed should be considered in further studies as a potential irreversible marker for recurrent depression.
ObjectivesTo compare self-reports of five basic emotions across four samples: healthy, chronic pain, depressed and PTSD, and to investigate the extent to which basic emotion reports discriminate between individuals in healthy or clinical groups.
MethodsIn total, 439 participants took part in this study: healthy (N = 131), chronic pain (N = 220), depressed (N = 24) and PTSD (N = 64). Participants completed the trait version of the Basic Emotion Scale (Dalgleish & Power, 2004). Basic emotion profiles were compared both within each group and between the healthy group and each of the three other groups. Discriminant analysis was used to assess the extent to which basic emotions can be used to classify participants as belonging to the healthy group or one of the clinical groups.2
ResultsIn the healthy group, happiness was experienced more than any other basic emotion.This was not found in the clinical groups. In comparison to healthy participants, the chronic pain group experienced more fear, anger and sadness; the depressed group reported more sadness; and the PTSD group experienced all of the negative emotions more frequently. Discriminant analysis revealed that happiness was the most important variable in determining whether an individual belonged to the healthy group or one of the clinical groups. Anger was found to further discriminate between depressed and chronic pain individuals.
ConclusionThe findings demonstrate that basic emotion profile analysis can provide a useful foundation for the exploration of emotional experience both within and between healthy and clinical groups.
Key Practitioner Message• More frequent experiences of happiness relative to discrete negative emotions most clearly discriminate between individuals in healthy and clinical groups.More frequent anger experiences further discriminate between individuals with chronic pain and those with depression while disgust levels help discriminate between those with PTSD and depression.• More frequent experiences of high arousal negative emotions -fear, anger and disgust are characteristic of individuals with PTSD.• Fear is the most frequently experienced negative emotion in both healthy and clinical groups. Higher levels of fear compared to other discrete negative emotions are not necessarily an indicator of psychopathology. Consideration of emotional profiles more generally and the relative frequency with which happiness is experienced relative to negative emotions may be more useful in delineating between healthy individuals and those with chronic pain, depression or PTSD.
3Although emotions play an important role in psychopathology, few studies have applied models of everyday emotions to research in psychopathology. Nonetheless,
Metacognitions and mindful attention awareness are related but separate constructs Both mindful attention awareness and metacognition are associated with depression Anxiety and negative beliefs about worry (metacognitions) are most important in predicting depression Addressing metacognitions in therapy should be considered in treatment of depression.
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