Cognitive Reactivity to Sad Mood as a Risk Factor for Depressive Recurrence

Abstract

According to cognitive theories of depression, vulnerability for onset and recurrence lies in some kind of cognitive dysfunction, or maladaptive cognitive information processing. This literary review paper aims to clarify the role of cognitive reactivity to sad mood as a risk factor to depressive recurrence, mechanism and measurement in order to provide tailor treatment and prevention for depression. Comprehensive searches of PsycInfo, PubMed and Web of Science were conducted. Teasdale’s differential activation hypothesis suggests that the initial depressive episode establishes specific dysfunctional patterns of processing that lie latent after recovery but that can be reactivated by depressed mood. This activation would in turn strengthen the dysfunctional processing patterns and thereby create a vicious loop of depression recurrence. Teasdale calls this concept cognitive reactivity. Cognitive Reactivity (CR) is the extent to which an individual experiences a negative shift in cognitive content and processes during a sad mood. Finding from our review suggests that CR can be conceptualized as a risk factor that is present in vulnerable individuals before depression-onset, that distinguishes between vulnerable and non-vulnerable groups even when in remission, and that predicts depression relapse.There also research evidence that the duration of the first depressive episode, regardless of its intensity, is of crucial importance in the formation of cognitive reactivity to sad mood.Based on findings from different countries we conclude that Index for Depression sensitivity, LEIDS-R  is a promising test for measuring cognitive reactivity to sad mood (CR). The results obtained from previous research indicate the importance of an interactive approach when examining the factors that contribute to the recurrent course of depression.

Keywords: cognitive reactivity; sad mood; risk factor; depressive recurrence