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Cognitive Reactivity in Everyday Life as a Prospective Predictor of Depressive Symptoms

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Abstract

We used PDA devices and an experience sampling technique to assess participants’ negative mood and thoughts as they engaged in their normal daily routines over the course of a week. We then calculated each person’s own unique relationship between mood and thoughts, and used this index of cognitive reactivity to predict depressive symptoms at 6-month follow-up. Participants who demonstrated a stronger link between their momentary negative mood and negative cognitions reported more depressive symptoms at follow-up than those who had a weaker relationship between mood and cognitions. Further, this cognitive reactivity index was a better predictor of follow-up depressive symptom scores than initial depressive symptoms, dysfunctional attitudes, average experienced negative mood or thoughts, or variability of negative mood or thoughts. These results are consistent with earlier findings and build on previous research by demonstrating that naturally occurring cognitive reactivity is predictive of future mood disruptions.

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Notes

  1. The current study sample was comprised of undergraduate students, and most participants were likely not clinically depressed. We therefore use the terms “symptoms of depression” and “depressive symptomatology” (rather than “depression”) to refer to our outcome variable of interest. We used the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Questionnaire to assess depressive symptomatology in the current study. This scale was designed specifically to assess symptoms of depression in community samples.

  2. Ten (9%) of our initial sample of 112 participants did not complete a minimum of 14 momentary assessments (range = 1–13). These participants’ data were excluded from analyses and their study participation ended after the weeklong momentary assessment phase (i.e., they were not contacted for and did not participate in the follow-up study procedures).

  3. Sex was not a significant moderator of any of the reported associations (P > .05).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, American University, 321 Asbury Building, 4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC, 20016, USA

    Susan J. Wenze, Kathleen C. Gunthert & Nicholas R. Forand

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  1. Susan J. Wenze
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  2. Kathleen C. Gunthert
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  3. Nicholas R. Forand
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Correspondence to Kathleen C. Gunthert.

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Wenze, S.J., Gunthert, K.C. & Forand, N.R. Cognitive Reactivity in Everyday Life as a Prospective Predictor of Depressive Symptoms. Cogn Ther Res 34, 554–562 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-010-9299-x

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