Cognitive and emotional processing of pleasant and unpleasant experiences in major depression: A matter of vantage point?

Borderline personality disorder traits and affect reactivity to positive affect induction followed by a stressor

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Affective hyperreactivity is a core feature of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), yet little is known about reactivity of positive affect (PA). Objectives were to explore the relationship between BPD traits and affect reactivity in response to a personalized PA-induction and a subsequent stressor. Patient status (seeking outpatient treatment for personality-related problems; yes/no), depressive symptoms, and age were examined as alternative predictors of affect reactivity.

METHODS

One hundred and eight females (35 patients) reported on their BPD and depressive symptoms. They completed the Best Possible Self-exercise and a modified Trier Social Stress Task. Trajectories of high and low arousal PA (HAP and LAP) and negative affect (NA) were analyzed with mixed regression modelling.

RESULTS

Patient status (for HAP) and depressive symptoms (for LAP and NA) predicted affect reactivity better than BPD traits. Patients showed a weaker HAP increase after PA-induction, and a similar HAP decrease after the stressor, compared to non-patients. Higher depressive symptoms predicted stronger improvement of LAP and NA after PA-induction, and less pronounced deterioration of LAP and NA after the stressor, relative to baseline.

LIMITATIONS

The sample was a convenience sample amplified with outpatients. Future research should (1) use clinical groups, (2) randomize to neutral vs. PA-induction, and (3) continue to differentiate between HAP and LAP.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results do not support models postulating BPD-specific affective hyperreactivity. HAP and LAP have different trajectories, depending on the degree of psychopathology. The resilience-enhancing potential of a PA-focus in psychotherapy needs further research.

Self-Distancing May Be Harmful: Third-Person Writing Increases Levels of Depressive Symptoms Compared to Traditional Expressive Writing and No Writing

Introduction: The positive effects of expressive writing on both mental and physical health are well documented. However, expressive writing may have the potential to activate negative schemas and facilitate rumination in those at high cognitive risk for depression (Yasinski, Hayes, & Laurenceau, 2016). The current research tested the hypothesis that writing using self-distancing would be more effective than traditional expressive writing in preventing depressive symptoms for those at high cognitive risk for depression.

Method: Two studies using undergraduate samples (n = 104 and n = 80) were conducted to test our hypotheses. Both studies used a two-week daily writing experimental design.

Results: Contrary to hypotheses, Study 1 found that individuals randomly assigned to a self-distancing writing condition reported greater levels of depressive symptoms than those assigned to a traditional expressive writing condition. The results of Study 2 replicated the results of Study 1. Participants randomly assigned to the self-distancing writing condition reported significantly greater levels of depressive symptoms than those in the expressive writing and no-writing control conditions. The effect of writing condition in Study 2 was driven by those with high levels of cognitive vulnerability.

Discussion: Results suggest that writing using self-distancing should not be used for the prevention of depressive symptoms.

Association between intrusive negative autobiographical memories and depression: A meta-analytic investigation

The study investigated several associations between depression and intrusive negative autobiographical memories. A systematic literature search identified 23 eligible studies (N = 2,582), which provided 59 effect sizes. Separate meta-analyses indicated that depression was moderately, positively associated with intrusive memory frequency, memory distress, maladaptive memory appraisals, memory avoidance, and memory rumination. Intrusive memory vividness was not significantly associated with depression. There were insufficient data to examine the relationship between depression and memory vantage perspective. Between-study heterogeneity was high for intrusive memory frequency and memory avoidance, and the percentage of females in studies significantly moderated the relationship between these variables and depression. An additional exploratory meta-analysis (3 studies; N = 257) indicated that intrusive memories were experienced more frequently by those with posttraumatic stress disorder than those with depression. Overall, the findings suggest that intrusive memories warrant clinical attention as they may contribute to the maintenance of depressive symptomatology.

Estudio de la relación entre miembros del comité editorial de las revistas científicas de Psicología y su producción según diferentes indicadores bibliométricos

El objetivo del presente trabajo es estudiar la relación entre los miembros del comité editorial que publican artículos en revistas de las que forman parte y la propia revista. Los resultados apuntan que los miembros del comité editorial publican sus artículos de forma más rápida frente a los autores que no forman parte del comité, y que no existe colaboración entre los miembros con mayor presencia en diferentes comités, sí habiéndola entre miembros de una misma revista. En 6 de las 10 revistas estudiadas el porcentaje de artículos firmados por algún miembro del comité supera el 25%, y en tres de estas revistas el tiempo de publicación de estos artículos es significativamente inferior al tiempo de publicación de autores que no forman parte del comité. Se puede concluir que formar parte del comité editorial es una vía utilizada por los autores para publicar sus artículos de forma más rápida.