Cognitive Reactivity Related to Coping Behaviors: An Assessment of Explicit and Implicit Dimensions in Clinical Depression

• Published in: Cognitive therapy and research 2021-12, Vol.45 (6), p.1222-1234
• Main Authors: Li, Xiao-Miao, Dobson, Keith S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antidepressants; Clinical Psychology; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Psychology; Coping; Hypotheses; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental depression; Mood; Original Article; Quality of Life Research
• ISSN: 0147-5916; 1573-2819
• DOI: 10.1007/s10608-021-10229-1

Background The differential activation hypothesis (Teasdale & Dent, 1987) proposes that negative cognitions in individuals with a history of depression are activated more easily by negative mood than individuals without this history. The change of cognitions due to mood change was termed cognitive reactivity. Negative cognitions might exist on both explicit and implicit dimensions. Methods This study examined the differential activation hypothesis on coping-related cognitions among people with a history of depression under different mood states in comparison with people who are currently depressed and those who have no history of depression. Coping-related cognitions were examined on both explicit and implicit dimensions. Currently depressed ( n  = 42), previously depressed ( n  = 61), and never depressed ( n  = 62) participants were tested on computer-based paradigms designed to measure depression, mood, and explicit and implicit cognitions. Results Explicit negatively biased cognitions on coping existed among currently depressed individuals and to some extent among previously depressed individuals. Explicit cognitive reactivity existed among previously depressed individuals for emotional-related content. Implicit cognitive compensation tendency existed among currently depressed individuals on negative coping while implicit cognitive reactivity existed among previously depressed individuals on positive coping. Conclusions This study demonstrated the existence of negatively biased cognitions and cognitive reactivity among people with a history of depression with coping-related contents, and on both explicit and implicit dimensions. The findings are consistent with the differential activation hypothesis.