Psychological processes leading to activation or avoidance: Protective and vulnerability factors to depression

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PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES LEADING TO ACTIVATION

OR AVOIDANCE:

PROTECTIVE AND VULNERABILITY FACTORS TO

DEPRESSION

Aurélie WAGENER

Ph.D. Student

University of Liège, Belgium

aurelie.wagener@ulg.ac.be

Co-authors

Sylvie Blairy, PhD., University of Liège

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OUR RESEARCH ON DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

= a cross-fertilisation of…

 Behavioural framework on depression (70’)

Ferster (1973 )

Lewinsohn (1974)

 Kinderman’s framework (2005 – 2013)

BA CK GRO

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OUR RESEARCH ON DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

= a cross-fertilisation of…



_{Behavioural framework on depression (70’)}

Ferster (1973 )

Lewinsohn (1974)

 Kinderman’s framework (2005 – 2013)

BA CK GRO

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FERSTER (1973) & LEWINSOHN (1974)

BA CK GRO

Depressive

disorder

Affective symptoms Cognitive symptoms Somatic symptoms ↘ engagment in activities

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FERSTER (1973) & LEWINSOHN (1974)

BA

CK

GRO

Depressed patients

 Loss of some activities

 Loss of positive reinforcements

∟ INACTIVITY = One of the main symptoms of depression

- - > Behavioural avoidance

 Vulnerability factor  Maintaining factor

 Clinical target of behavioural activation strategies

Depressive

disorder

↘ engagment in activities

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OUR RESEARCH ON DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

= a cross-fertilisation of…

 Behavioural framework on depression

Ferster (1973 )

Lewinsohn (1974)



Kinderman’s framework (2005 – 2013)

BA CK GRO

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KINDERMAN (2005)

A PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL OF MENTAL DISORDER

BA CK GRO Biological factors Circumstantial factors Disturbed psychological processes Mental disorder Social factors Depressive disorder

Which?

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DEPRESSION & DISTURBED PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES



Negative repetitive thoughts

 Brooding  Reflection

 Uncertainty intolerance



Maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies

 Self-blame  Other blame

 Catastrophization



Low environmental rewards



Hyperactivation of the behavioural inhibition system (BIS)

BA

CK

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KINDERMAN (2005)

A PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL OF MENTAL DISORDER

BA CK GRO Biological factors Circumstantial factors Disturbed psychological processes Mental disorder Social factors

Negative repetitive thoughts

Maladaptive emotion regulation strategies Low environmental rewards

Hyperactive BIS

Depressive disorder

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OUR RESEARCH ON DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

= a cross-fertilisation of…



_{Behavioural framework on depression}

Ferster (1973 )

Lewinsohn (1974)



Kinderman’s framework (2005 – 2013)

BA CK GRO

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OUR RESEARCH ON DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

BA CK GRO Biological factors Circumstantial factors Disturbed psychological processes Mental disorder Social factors Depression Behavioural avoidance

?

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OUR RESEARCH ON DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

BA CK GRO Behavioural avoidance

Hyperactive BIS

?

> Clinical relevance: Tailoring our psychotherapeutic interventions

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OUR RESEARCH ON DEPRESSIVE DISORDER

BA CK GRO Behavioural avoidance

Hyperactive BIS

?

Adaptive emotion regulation strategies High environmental rewards

BAS Self-image

Behavioural activation

> Clinical relevance: Tailoring our psychotherapeutic interventions

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HYPOTHESES

Disturbed psychological processes

Negative repetitive thoughts

Maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies Low environmental satisfaction

Inhibition

Behavioural avoidance

Healthy psychological processes

Adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies High environmental satisfaction

Approach High self-esteem High self-efficacy Identity clarity Behavioural activation Depression

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METHODS

 Adults [18-60 years] from clinical and non-clinical populations

 Questionnaires

Psychological processes

Behavioural avoidance & behavioural activation Depression

 541 women (mean age= 31.40, SD= 12.20)  281 men (mean age= 32.45, SD= 11.87)

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RESULTS

Behavioural avoidance Depression 0.46** Behavioural activation -0.37** 0.45** -0.39**

→ Vulnerability factor to…

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Reflection

Self-blame

Low Env Rewards

BIS Behavioural avoidance 0.03** Brooding Uncertainty intolerance 0.02 -0.01 0.25** 0.31** 0.00 Blame other Catastrophization 0.05 -0.06 _0.03 0.48** 0.08 0.08 0.11 0.64** 0.06 0.11

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Positive reass Perspective

High Env Rewards Approach Behavioural activation 0.04 Centration on action Centration + 0.09 0.06 0.05 0.07 0.02 Self-esteem Self-efficacy 0.07 0.08 _0.00 -0.10 -0.02 -0.05 0.00 -0.07 -0.06 0.00 Clarity of self-concept Distress tolerance 0.04 0.00 0.00 0.00

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DISCUSSION

 Behavioural avoidance is predicted by

 Brooding, reflection and BIS in women  Brooding and reflection in men

Relevance of working on the repetitive negative thoughts

With women, relevance on working on BIS’ characteristics

 Behavioural activation?

 No healthy psychological processes predict it…

 Perspectives

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Aurelie Wagener

aurelie.wagener@ulg.ac.be

+32 4 366 35 69

Department of Psychology: Cognition and Behaviour Cognitive and Behavioural Clinical Psychology, B33 Quartier Agora

Place des Orateurs 1 4000 Liège