Depression and Identity: Are Self-Constructions Negative or Conflictual?

Abstract

Negative self-views have proved to be a consistent marker of vulnerability for depression. However, recent research has shown that a particular kind of cognitive conflict, implicative dilemma, is highly prevalent in depression. In this study, the relevance of these conflicts is assessed as compared to the cognitive model of depression of a negative view of the self. In so doing, 161 patients with major depression and 110 controls were assessed to explore negative self-construing (self-ideal discrepancy) and conflicts (implicative dilemmas), as well as severity of symptoms. Results showed specificity for the clinical group indicating a pattern of mixed positive and negative self-descriptions with a high rate of conflict. Regression analysis lent support to the conflict hypothesis in relation to clinically relevant indicators such as symptom severity, global functioning. However, self-ideal discrepancy was a stronger predictor of group membership. The findings showed the relevance of cognitive conflicts to compliment the well-consolidated theory of negative self-views. Clinical implications for designing interventions are discussed.

Sad as a Matter of Evidence: The Desire for Self-Verification Motivates the Pursuit of Sadness in Clinical Depression

“…As a negative self-view predicts depressive symptomatology (Montesano et al, 2017), exposure to sad stimuli in depressed individuals may contribute to a malignant course of the disorder, as this may serve to deepen self-limiting and negative beliefs about oneself. However, the causal role of the pursuit of sadness in the course and recovery from depression was not tested in this study.…”

Multimodal mental health analysis in social media

“…In this regard, the choice of profile image can be a proxy for one's online persona [20], providing a window into an individual's mental health status. For instance, choosing a profile image with the emaciated legs of an individual with several cuts portrays negative self-view [21]. Moreover, psychologists have argued that people use pictures to communicate messages in social media posts which represent our "Ideal Self", or who we want to be.…”

Patterns of change and their relationship to outcome and follow-up in group and individual psychotherapy for depression.

“…Interestingly, although the three measures changed across the therapy process, only the PICID entered the model for predicting class membership. The relevance of IDs for depression was already highlighted by Montesano, Feixas, Caspar and Winter (2017). In their study of 161 patients with depression and 110 non-clinical controls, they showed that IDs might have an even more important role than the well-established influence of negative view of self.…”

“…Cohen and DeRubeis 2018 The most used variables to predict treatment outcome and patterns of change in psychotherapy for depression (Bogner et al, 2012;Bryan et al, 2012;Callahan & Hynan, 2005;Cui et al, 2008;Cuijpers et al, 2005;Dew et al, 1997;Gildengers et al, 2005;Gude & Havik, 2000;Howard et al, 1986;Ilardi & Craighead, 1994;Liang et al, 2011;Lutz et al, 2009;Stulz et al, 2010;Thase et al, 1997;Thibodeau et al, 2015;Wardenaar et al, 2014) In clinical practice, it has been reported (AEgisdóttir et al, 2006;Bar-Kalifa et al, 2016;Hannan et al, 2005 (Andrews & Williams, 2014). In this regard, as the RGT was used in the study by Feixas et al ( , 2018 RCT, and considering that some of their indexes have been related to psychological processes underlying depression (Feixas et al, 2014;Montesano et al, 2014Montesano et al, , 2017, we considered that the RGT has promising potential for treatment personalisation.…”