Concurrent effects of different psychological processes in the prediction of depressive symptoms – the role of cognitive fusion

Abstract

Cognitive fusion refers to the dominance of verbal processes over behavior regulation, in detriment of being sensitive to contextual contingencies and pursuing valued life goals. It is a core process within Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and seems to have a crucial role in the development and maintenance of psychopathology.The first goal of this investigation was to explore the factor structure, factorial invariance and psychometrics of the Portuguese version of the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ). A multigroup confirmatory factor analysis attested the invariant one-dimensional factor structure of the CFQ across three samples from the general population (n = 408; n = 291; n = 101) with different demographic characteristics. Additionally, the CFQ showed to be a psychometrically robust and reliable measure.A second major goal was to investigate the convergent and incremental validity of this version of CFQ (n = 408).Convergent validity was explored and attested with several psychological indicators. Regarding incremental validity, the predictive power of depressive symptoms of cognitive fusion and three related processes, with origin in different conceptual frameworks, was tested. Results showed that even when the effects of decentering, mindfulness and metacognitions were controlled for, cognitive fusion consistently maintained a significant and unique predictive power over depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that these processes relate differentially and independently with depressive symptoms and, moreover, that cognitive fusion has a superior contribution to its explanation. Given the evidence that cognitive fusion plays an important role in the comprehension of depressive symptoms, conceptual and clinical implications were discussed.

Cognitive fusion and personality traits in the context of mindfulness: A cross-sectional study

“…In line with various accounts in the literature [ 13 , 57 ], the first hypothesis regarding the negative association between mindfulness and negative affect was supported by our data. Results showed a positive relationship between cognitive fusion and negative affect, as hypothesized and frequently evidenced in the literature [ 22 , 58 , 59 ].…”

Acceptance and commitment therapy for family caregivers: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…On the other hand, greater levels of psychological flexibility were associated with higher levels of quality of life, emotional well-being, community participation, and resilience (Butler and Ciarrochi, 2007). In addition, studies found positive relationships between cognitive fusion (the opposite to defusion) and psychological distress and a significant predictive role of cognitive fusion over psychological distress and quality of life (Bardeen and Fergus, 2016; Gillanders et al., 2015; Pinto-Gouveia et al., 2018). The literature also suggested a significant effect of personal values on psychological distress and satisfaction with life in family caregivers (Romero-Moreno et al., 2017).…”

Efficacy of an ACT and Compassion-Based eHealth Program for Self-Management of Chronic Pain (iACTwithPain): Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Mindfulness abilities will be measured using the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS-R; Feldman et al, 2007 ; Teixeira et al, 2017 ) which presents 12 items answered on a 4-point Likert scale from 1 (Not at all) to 4 (Almost always). Cognitive fusion will be assessed by the seven-item Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ-7; Gillanders et al, 2014 ; Pinto-Gouveia et al, 2020 ), in which the response scale ranges from 1 (“Never true”) to 7 (“Always true”).…”