Depressive Suppression: Effects of Emotion Suppression on Multiple Emotions for Depressed Versus Nondepressed Individuals

摘要

Clinical theory from multiple psychological perspectives, including cognitive therapies, have long suggested that the maladaptive use of strategies to regulate emotion play a central role in the development and maintenance of psychopathology. This consideration may be particularly salient for depressive symptoms, given the prevalence of multiple negative emotions in the context of depression and the recently established tendency for depressed individuals to suppress emotions. We experimentally tested whether emotional and physiological effects of emotion suppression in response to separate sadness and anxiety inductions are moderated by depressive symptoms. Results indicated no effect of suppression on self-reported sadness compared to control condition for depressed or nondepressed participants (total N = 113). However, suppressing anxiety led to a reduction in self-reported anxiety compared to control condition for nondepressed participants, but there was no effect of suppression on anxiety among depressed participants. A similar pattern emerged for cardiac responding during both inductions. Results suggest that the effects of suppression depend on the emotion suppressed and on one's level of depressive symptoms. Depressed participants' difficulty mitigating state anxiety also suggests that depressed individuals have difficulty regulating certain emotions, but not others. Further implications for theoretical understanding, assessment of psychopathology, and clinical practice are discussed.