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Cognitive Predictors of Depressive Symptoms: Cognitive Reactivity, Mood Reactivity, and Dysfunctional Attitudes

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Abstract

Background

Cognitive vulnerability-stress models explain depression as the result of an interaction between negative cognitive styles and stressful life events; however, the specific content of the cognitive diathesis varies by model.

Methods

This study examined three cognitive diatheses (i.e., unprimed cognitions, cognitive reactivity, and mood reactivity) in a prospective longitudinal design assessing currently non-depressed college students (N = 322) at the start of the semester with follow-up at the end of the semester, approximately 3 months later. At baseline, depressive symptoms, major depression history, negative life events in the past year, unprimed dysfunctional attitudes, and both cognitive reactivity and mood reactivity over a dysphoric mood induction were assessed. Depressive symptoms and negative life events in the interim were assessed at follow-up.

Results

After controlling for gender, past year negative life events, and baseline depression severity; unprimed dysfunctional attitudes significantly predicted subsequent depression severity, whereas cognitive reactivity and mood reactivity did not. None of the cognitive vulnerabilities interacted with negative life events over the interim to predict later depression. After controlling for gender, past year negative life events, baseline depression severity, and history of depression; mood reactivity and the mood reactivity × depression history interaction significantly predicted later depressive symptoms. Greater levels of mood reactivity predicted higher depressive symptoms in those with a history of depression and lower depressive symptoms in those without history of depression.

Conclusions

Results suggest that different vulnerabilities may be relevant to predicting increases in depressive symptoms over time in those individuals who have not previously been depressed vs. those who have.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405-0134, USA

    Jessica Perez & Kelly J. Rohan

  2. Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, John Dewey Hall, 2 Colchester Avenue, Burlington, VT, 05405-0134, USA

    Jessica Perez

Authors
  1. Jessica Perez
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  2. Kelly J. Rohan
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Contributions

Both authors contributed to the study conception and design. Jessica Perez performed the data analyses and drafted the initial version of the manuscript. Kelly Rohan designed the parent study, acquired the data, and made critical revisions to the manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jessica Perez.

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Conflict of Interest

Jessica Perez and Kelly J. Rohan declare no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Ethical Approval

This study was approved by the University of Vermont’s Committees on Human Research. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Perez, J., Rohan, K.J. Cognitive Predictors of Depressive Symptoms: Cognitive Reactivity, Mood Reactivity, and Dysfunctional Attitudes. Cogn Ther Res 45, 123–135 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-020-10174-5

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