Memory Specificity and Mindfulness Jointly Moderate the Effect of Reflective Pondering on Depressive Symptoms in Individuals with a History of Recurrent Depression

Overview

Journal J Abnorm Psychol

Publisher American Psychological Association

Specialty Psychology

Date 2015 Feb 3

PMID 25643201

Citations 5

Authors

Kate Brennan

Thorsten Barnhofer

Catherine Crane

Danielle Duggan

J Mark G Williams

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In previously depressed individuals, reflective thinking may easily get derailed and lead to detrimental effects. This study investigated the conditions in which such thinking is, or is not, adaptive. Levels of mindfulness and autobiographical memory specificity were assessed as potential moderators of the relationship between reflective thinking and depressive symptoms. Two hundred seventy-four individuals with a history of three or more previous episodes of depression completed self-report measures of depressive symptoms, rumination-including subscales for reflection and brooding-and mindfulness, as well as an autobiographical memory task to assess memory specificity. In those low in both mindfulness and memory specificity, higher levels of reflection were related to more depressive symptoms, whereas in all other groups higher levels of reflection were related to fewer depressive symptoms. The results demonstrate that the relation between reflective pondering and depressive symptoms varies depending on individual state or trait factors. In previously depressed individuals, the cognitive problem-solving aspect of reflection may be easily hampered when tendencies toward unspecific processing are increased, and awareness of mental processes such as self-judgment and reactivity is decreased.

Citing Articles

The (In)flexible self: Psychopathology, mindfulness, and neuroscience.

Giommi F, Bauer P, Berkovich-Ohana A, Barendregt H, Brown K, Gallagher S Int J Clin Health Psychol. 2023; 23(4):100381.

PMID: 36969914 PMC: 10033904. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2023.100381.

Prosocial Behavior Can Moderate the Relationship Between Rumination and Mindfulness.

Meng Y, Meng G Front Psychiatry. 2020; 11:289.

PMID: 32362846 PMC: 7180177. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00289.

Thought-Action Fusion in Individuals with a History of Recurrent Depression and Suicidal Depression: Findings from a Community Sample.

Gjelsvik B, Kappelmann N, von Soest T, Hinze V, Baer R, Hawton K Cognit Ther Res. 2018; 42(6):782-793.

PMID: 30416229 PMC: 6208973. DOI: 10.1007/s10608-018-9924-7.

Functional connectivity of reflective and brooding rumination in depressed and healthy women.

Satyshur M, Layden E, Gowins J, Buchanan A, Gollan J Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2018; 18(5):884-901.

PMID: 29949111 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-0611-7.

Adolescent over-general memory, life events and mental health outcomes: Findings from a UK cohort study.

Crane C, Heron J, Gunnell D, Lewis G, Evans J, Williams J Memory. 2015; 24(3):348-63.

PMID: 25716137 PMC: 4743605. DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2015.1008014.

References

Takano K, Tanno Y . Self-rumination, self-reflection, and depression: self-rumination counteracts the adaptive effect of self-reflection. Behav Res Ther. 2009; 47(3):260-4. DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2008.12.008. View

Joormann J, Dkane M, Gotlib I . Adaptive and maladaptive components of rumination? Diagnostic specificity and relation to depressive biases. Behav Ther. 2006; 37(3):269-80. DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2006.01.002. View

Scher C, Ingram R, Segal Z . Cognitive reactivity and vulnerability: empirical evaluation of construct activation and cognitive diatheses in unipolar depression. Clin Psychol Rev. 2005; 25(4):487-510. DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2005.01.005. View

Nolen-Hoeksema S, Parker L, Larson J . Ruminative coping with depressed mood following loss. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1994; 67(1):92-104. DOI: 10.1037//0022-3514.67.1.92. View

Nolen-Hoeksema S, McBride A, Larson J . Rumination and psychological distress among bereaved partners. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1997; 72(4):855-62. DOI: 10.1037//0022-3514.72.4.855. View

Dawson J, Richter A . Probing three-way interactions in moderated multiple regression: development and application of a slope difference test. J Appl Psychol. 2006; 91(4):917-26. DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.91.4.917. View

Segal Z, Williams J, Teasdale J, Gemar M . A cognitive science perspective on kindling and episode sensitization in recurrent affective disorder. Psychol Med. 1996; 26(2):371-80. DOI: 10.1017/s0033291700034760. View

Nolen-Hoeksema S, Morrow J . A prospective study of depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms after a natural disaster: the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1991; 61(1):115-21. DOI: 10.1037//0022-3514.61.1.115. View

Baer R, Smith G, Allen K . Assessment of mindfulness by self-report: the Kentucky inventory of mindfulness skills. Assessment. 2004; 11(3):191-206. DOI: 10.1177/1073191104268029. View

10.

Solomon D, Keller M, Leon A, Mueller T, Lavori P, Shea M . Multiple recurrences of major depressive disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2000; 157(2):229-33. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.157.2.229. View

11.

Moberly N, Watkins E . Processing mode influences the relationship between trait rumination and emotional vulnerability. Behav Ther. 2006; 37(3):281-91. DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2006.02.003. View

12.

Surrence K, Miranda R, Marroquin B, Chan S . Brooding and reflective rumination among suicide attempters: cognitive vulnerability to suicidal ideation. Behav Res Ther. 2009; 47(9):803-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2009.06.001. View

13.

Radford S, Eames C, Brennan K, Lambert G, Crane C, Williams J . Trait mindfulness as a limiting factor for residual depressive symptoms: an explorative study using quantile regression. PLoS One. 2014; 9(7):e100022. PMC: 4079585. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100022. View

14.

Watkins E . Adaptive and maladaptive ruminative self-focus during emotional processing. Behav Res Ther. 2004; 42(9):1037-52. DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2004.01.009. View

15.

Sumner J, Griffith J, Mineka S . Overgeneral autobiographical memory as a predictor of the course of depression: a meta-analysis. Behav Res Ther. 2010; 48(7):614-25. PMC: 2878838. DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2010.03.013. View

16.

Nolen-Hoeksema S . Responses to depression and their effects on the duration of depressive episodes. J Abnorm Psychol. 1991; 100(4):569-82. DOI: 10.1037//0021-843x.100.4.569. View

17.

Raes F, Hermans D, de Decker A, Eelen P, Williams J . Autobiographical memory specificity and affect regulation: an experimental approach. Emotion. 2003; 3(2):201-6. DOI: 10.1037/1528-3542.3.2.201. View

18.

Eade J, Healy H, Williams J, Chan S, Crane C, Barnhofer T . Retrieval of autobiographical memories: The mechanisms and consequences of truncated search. Cogn Emot. 2015; 20(3-4):351-82. DOI: 10.1080/02699930500342522. View

19.

Baer R, Smith G, Hopkins J, Krietemeyer J, Toney L . Using self-report assessment methods to explore facets of mindfulness. Assessment. 2006; 13(1):27-45. DOI: 10.1177/1073191105283504. View

20.

Hayes S, Villatte M, Levin M, Hildebrandt M . Open, aware, and active: contextual approaches as an emerging trend in the behavioral and cognitive therapies. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2011; 7:141-68. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032210-104449. View