Responses to affect subtypes differentially associate with anxious and depressive symptom severity.

Rebekah J Mennies,Samantha L Birk,Thomas M Olino,Julia A C Case

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0235256

Abstract

Responses to affect include cognitive processes (i.e., perseverative vs. non-perseverative) and valence (i.e., modulation of positive vs. negative affect). However, little research has examined how the factor structure of responses to affect is defined along one or both of these dimensions. The present study conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of items from assessments of repetitive negative thinking, rumination on positive affect (PA), and dampening. We also examined the associations between emergent factors and measures of depressive symptoms, social anxiety symptoms, and non-social state anxiety. EFA results suggested a three-factor model of repetitive negative thinking, dampening, and rumination on PA. There was a significant association between repetitive negative thinking and dampening factors, but not between other factors. Repetitive negative thinking and dampening were associated with greater internalizing symptoms, whereas rumination on PA was associated with fewer internalizing symptoms. These findings clarify the structure of these responses to affect and their differential associations with symptoms, which may be used to tailor cognitive interventions for anxiety and/or depression.

Highlights

Negative repetitive thoughts are hallmark correlates of depressive and anxiety disorders (e.g., [1])
An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with all items from the Repetitive Thinking Questionnaire (RTQ)-10 (RNT) and Responses to Positive Affect (RPA) questionnaire
We specified the measurement of the RPA, dampening, and repetitive negative thinking (RNT) factors in a confirmatory factor model with the composite depression, composite social anxiety, and non-social state anxiety variables regressed on the latent factors

Summary

Introduction

Negative repetitive thoughts are hallmark correlates of depressive and anxiety disorders (e.g., [1]). Like RNT, dampening involves greater attention towards negative rather than positive aspects of mood or events; and like rumination on PA, dampening is defined by the modulation of positive affect, but unlike rumination on PA, dampening attenuates rather than amplifies PA. These responses to affect are defined by both shared and distinct elements across dimensions of cognitive process (i.e., perseverative or non-perseverative) and valence (modulation of NA or PA). Results will provide information about the dimensions along which responses to affect fall psychometrically, inform whether rumination on PA is best assessed as unitary or multidimensional, and further elucidate the relationship between these responses to affect—and their relationship with various internalizing symptom dimensions—within a single model

Participants

Procedure

Results

Discussion