Recursive Associations Among Maladaptive Cognitions and Symptoms of Social Anxiety and Depression: Implications for Sex Differences

Abstract

Recent theories suggest that relationships between cognitive factors and symptoms of anxiety and depression are reciprocal and recursive. The first aim of this study was to evaluate the recursive relationships among two types of maladaptive cognitions (negative automatic thoughts and social looming cognitive style) and symptoms of social anxiety and depression. The second aim of the study was to test whether these reciprocal relationships help to explain sex differences in emotional problems and maladaptive cognitions. A total of 640 adolescents and young adults (52.65% women) participated in this study and filled in questionnaires at two waves, spaced 6 months apart. Participants were between 16 and 25 years old (Mage = 18.27, SDage = 2.21). The path analyses indicated that social looming at T1 predicted social anxiety at T2 and negative self-concept thoughts at T1 predicted social anxiety and depressive symptoms at T2. In addition, social anxiety at T1 predicted social looming at T2 and social anxiety a...