Dynamics of daily positive and negative affect and relations to anxiety and depression symptoms in a transdiagnostic clinical sample

Abstract

Background Despite interest in transdiagnostic dimensional approaches to psychopathology, little is known about the dynamic interplay of affecting and internalizing symptoms that cut across diverse mental health disorders. We examined within‐person reciprocal effects of negative and positive affect (NA, PA) and symptoms (depression and anxiety), and their between‐person associations with affective dynamics (i.e., affect inertia). Methods Individuals currently receiving treatment for psychological disorders (N = 776) completed daily assessments of affect and symptoms across 14 treatment days (average). We used dynamic structural equation modeling to examine daily affect–symptom dynamics. Results Within‐person results indicated NA–symptom reciprocal effects; PA only predicted subsequent depression symptoms. After accounting for changes in mean symptoms and affect over time, NA‐anxiety and PA‐depression relations remained particularly robust. Between‐person correlations indicated NA inertia was positively associated with NA–symptom effects; PA inertia was negatively associated with PA–symptoms effects. Conclusions Results suggest that transdiagnostic affective treatment approaches may be more useful for reducing internalizing symptoms by decreasing NA compared to increasing PA. Individual differences in resistance to shifting out of affective states (i.e., high NA vs. PA inertia) may be a useful marker for developing tailored interventions.

The serial mediation effect of prospective imagery vividness and anxiety symptoms on the relationship between perceived stress and depressive symptoms among Chinese vocational college students during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…This result is consistent with the findings of Stöber ( 2000 ), who suggested that negative prospective imagery may be more closely related to anxiety than to depression and that reduced vividness of positive prospective imagery may be more closely related to depression than to anxiety. It is also in line with the finding of Zhu et al ( 2022 ), which confirmed that daily negative affect has robust relationship with anxiety whereas daily positive affect has robust relationship with depression. Additionally, it is worth noting that the serial mediation effect in Model A was much greater than that in Model B.…”

Changes in positive and negative affect in psychotherapy for depression and anxiety.

“…This finding is consistent with prior evidence showing that treatments focusing upon symptom reduction (e.g., CBT and pharmacotherapy) have little impact upon positive affect (Bosley et al, 2018; Craske et al, 2016; Dunn et al, 2020), including behavioral activation (Dichter et al, 2009; Moore et al, 2013). It also aligns with findings from a study examining daily affect and symptom dynamics (Zhu et al, 2022), which demonstrated that depression and anxiety symptoms did not predict subsequent positive affect during treatment in a partial hospital program. Perhaps positive affect is influenced more by reward processes (e.g., anticipation–motivation, response to reward attainment, and learning) than by symptom reduction.…”

“…Uncovering the dynamic processes of how positive and negative affect change in relation to depression and anxiety symptoms over the course of treatment may elucidate optimal treatment targets and thus refine treatment approaches. There is evidence that changes in both positive and negative affect predict subsequent depression symptom changes during CBT (Whelen & Strunk, 2021; Zhu et al, 2022). Conversely, there is evidence for changes in positive affect over the course of CBT to be contingent on decreases in depression (Kring et al, 2007) and anxiety (Bosley et al, 2018) symptoms, although Zhu et al (2022) did not find this effect.…”

“…There is evidence that changes in both positive and negative affect predict subsequent depression symptom changes during CBT (Whelen & Strunk, 2021; Zhu et al, 2022). Conversely, there is evidence for changes in positive affect over the course of CBT to be contingent on decreases in depression (Kring et al, 2007) and anxiety (Bosley et al, 2018) symptoms, although Zhu et al (2022) did not find this effect. Thus, further examination is needed to establish temporal precedence and improve understanding of these relationships.…”

Psychometric Evaluation of the Social Touch Questionnaire in Chinese Adolescents

“…Some Self-report questionnaires were primarily focused on comfortable, positive social touch, with less attention paid to those unpleasant, negative touch events such as the Positive Touch Experience Attitude Questionnaire (TEAQ) and the Tactile Biography (TBIO) (Beltran, Dijkerman, & Keizer, 2020;Trotter, McGlone, Reniers, & Deakin, 2018). However, in real world, negative affective states can be expressed via touch and closely linked to depression and anxiety (Saarinen, Harjunen, Jasinskaja-Lahti, Jääskeläinen, & Ravaja, 2021; Zhu et al, 2022). The Social Touch Questionnaire (STQ) was administered as a general measure of attitude toward social touch, covering a wide-ranging issue concerning positive, neutral and negative social contact in a relatively well-integrated manner (Wilhelm, Kochar, Roth, & Gross, 2001).…”