Positive Cognitive Reappraisal in Stress Resilience, Mental Health, and Well-Being: A Comprehensive Systematic Review

Abstract

Stress-related psychopathology is on the rise, and there is a pressing need for improved prevention strategies. Positive appraisal style, the tendency to appraise potentially threatening situations in a positive way, has been proposed to act as a key resilience mechanism and therefore offers a potential target for preventive approaches. In this article, we review n = 99 studies investigating associations of positive cognitive reappraisal, an important sub-facet of positive appraisal style, with outcome-based resilience and relevant other outcomes, which are considered resilience-related. According to the studies reviewed, positive cognitive reappraisal moderates the relation between stressors and negative outcomes and is positively related to several resilience-related outcomes. It also mediates between other resilience factors and resilience, suggesting it is a proximal resilience factor.

The Effects of Virtual Reality in Targeting Transdiagnostic Factors for Mental Health: A Systematic Review of the Literature

“…Indeed, we were not able to find a shared, set list of transdiagnostic factors to consider for our keywords. Although an attempt was made to choose the main internalizing and externalizing factors for mental disorders that are also linked to a wide number of psychopathologies [10][11][12]15,[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36], this arbitrary selection might also have led to the neglect other important keywords. Future reviews might help with investigating the effects of VR-based interventions on other important transdiagnostic factors.…”

“…characterize a wide variety of mental health disorders, such as mood and anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), psychotic disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders [26][27][28][29]. Similarly, difficulties in using emotion regulation strategies and cognitive reappraisal are linked to the maintenance and development of several psychopathologies and represent some of the main targets of transdiagnostic CBTbased treatments [15,[30][31][32]. Finally, aggressive behaviors, impulsivity, and disinhibition can also be found in diagnostic criteria and clinical presentations of different psychiatric diagnoses and especially externalizing disorders (e.g., substance-use disorders, antisocial personality disorder, attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder, etc.)…”

The Efficacy of a Resilience-Enhancement Program for Mothers Based on Emotion Regulation: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Japan

“…Participating in this approach clearly strengthens resilience [ 66 ], which empowers meaningful change. Riepenhausen et al [ 58 ] demonstrated particularly large effects on resilience through training strategies that increase the frequency or success of PCT. Thus, a focus on ER using PCR on mothers’ main stressful events and situations could have been effective in improving and sustaining resilience even at 2-month follow-up.…”

“…Therefore, positive cognitive reappraisal (PCR) aims to reduce negative emotional experiences by positively reframing the perception of the situation [ 27 , 57 ]. PCR and resilience are positively related [ 58 , 59 , 60 ], while other disturbed or negative ER strategies (e.g., emotion suppression, distraction, blaming others) are negatively associated with well-being [ 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 ]. In their comprehensive systematic review on PCR and resilience, Riepenhausen et al [ 58 ] reported that ER strategies based on PCR may be protective to well-being and functioning, improve a person’s ability to cope with stress, and trigger other positive outcomes in healthy participants.…”

Reappraisal

“…Compared to many common forms of emotion regulation such as trying to avoid situations, thoughts, or feelings, reappraisal tends to be more effective in altering emotion across the body and the mind (Webb, Miles, & Sheeran, 2012). Reappraisal use is also associated with higher resilience (Riepenhausen et al, 2022) and better mental health (Aldao, Nolen-Hoeksema, & Schweizer, 2010;Gross & John, 2003). This is not only because good mental health facilitates reappraisal, but also because using reappraisal improves mental health (e.g., Brewer, Zahniser, & Conley, 2016;Lincoln, 2022).…”