Cognitive emotion regulation strategies and depressive symptoms: differences between males and females

Abstract

The present study focuses on comparability of men and women in (a) the extent to which they use specific cognitive emotion regulation strategies in response to the experience of life stress and (b) the extent to which the use of these strategies is related to the reporting of depressive symptoms. In a general population sample of 251 males and 379 females, data were obtained on symptoms of depression and the use of nine cognitive emotion regulation strategies. Significant differences were found in the strategies Rumination, Catastrophizing and Positive refocusing: women reported to use these strategies more often than men. However, no differences were found in the extent to which specific cognitive strategies were related to the reporting of depressive symptomatology. In both groups, higher extents of reporting self-blame, rumination and/or catastrophizing as strategies were strongly related to higher depression scores, whereas higher extents of using positive reappraisal were related to lower depression scores. #

Are expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal associated with stress-related symptoms?

“…Indeed, this is consistent with our hypotheses and with other studies (e.g., Garnefski et al, 2004;Garnefski & Kraaij, 2006;Gross & John, 2003; showing the potentially adaptive nature of reappraisal. Yet, given the literature on the role of appraisals in development and treatment of chronic PTSD (e.g., Bryant et al, 2001, Dunmore et al, 1999Ehring et al, 2006;Mayou et al, 2002), it was surprising that higher cognitive reappraisal was only modestly associated with lower reexperiencing symptoms (r = −.18, ns) and not associated with avoidance (r = .04, ns) in the trauma-exposed community sample.…”

“…Reappraisal is associated with less depression, less negative affect, and increased life satisfaction (Garnefski, Teerds, Kraaij, Legerstee, & van den Kommer, 2004;Garnefski & Kraaij, 2006;, and induced reappraisal decreases negative emotion and neither impairs memory nor increases arousal (Egloff, Schmukle, Burns, & Schwerdtfeger, 2006;Richards & Gross, 2000;Richards et al, 2003;Gross & Thompson, 2006) and may actually lessen physiological arousal (Dandoy & Goldstein, 1990). The use of reappraisal is also higher in healthy controls compared to individuals with clinical levels of anxiety and/or depression (Garnefski et al, 2002;Garnefski et al, 2004). In addition, like expressive suppression, reappraisal may be particularly relevant to the study of trauma reactions.…”

Brain potentials to emotional pictures are modulated by alexithymia during emotion regulation

“…Previous research indicates that using reappraisal or suppression can lead to markedly different consequences. For instance, previous research has shown that reappraisal is associated with positive emotional experiences, such as increased life satisfaction (Kashdan et al, 2006), lower symptoms of depression, higher levels of environmental mastery, personal growth, self-acceptance, and a clearer purpose in life (Garnefski, Teerds, Kraaij, Legerstee, & van den Kommer, 2004;Gross & John, 2003). Conversely, suppression has been associated with negative emotional experiences, such as higher levels of depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem (Gross & John, 2003), increases in physiology, including increased eye blinking and sympathetic nervous system activation (Gross & Levenson, 1993, and increased distress and negative affect (Ehring, Tuschen-Caffier, Schnulle, Fischer, & Gross, 2010;Kashdan et al, 2006).…”

Beyond “Cold” Cognition: Exploring Cognitive Control of Emotion as a Risk Factor for Psychosis

“…Maladaptive ER strategies (e.g., suppression, rumination, self-blame, catastrophizing), commonly assessed using the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Reduced ACC and LPFC activation during ECA in anxiety [84]; reduced DLPFC and increased amygdala activation in depression [85] Findings in psychosis-spectrum samples Behavioral Suppression associated with more severe paranoia [87], auditory hallucinations [88], and poorer social functioning [94] Impaired ECA associated with paranoia [99], disorganized symptoms [100], and reduced positive affect [108] Neuroimaging Reduced frontal-limbic connectivity during reappraisal in schizophrenia [103] and PP [104] Reduced LPFC, medial PFC, and ACC activation during ECA in schizophrenia [105] and PP [104] ACC anterior cingulate cortex, BPD borderline personality disorder, CERQ Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, DLPFC dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, ECA emotion conflict adaptation, ER emotion regulation, LPFC lateral prefrontal cortex, PFC prefrontal cortex, PP psychosis proneness Questionnaire (CERQ) [75], are increasingly recognized as vulnerability factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of psychopathology [28], particularly disorders characterized by affective instability, such as anxiety [76], depression [77,78], and substance use [79]. Similarly, impaired performance on ECA paradigms requiring inhibition of irrelevant negative emotional stimuli has been observed in depression [80], anxiety [81], borderline personality disorder [82], and those at risk for developing a mood disorder [83].…”