Adaptive cognitive emotion regulation moderates the relationship between dysfunctional attitudes and depressive symptoms during a stressful life period: A prospective study

Abstract Background and objectives Dysfunctional cognitions are known to emerge in stressful situations and are critical for the onset of depressive symptoms. The goal of this study is to investigate whether adaptive and/or maladaptive emotion regulation strategies moderate the relationship between dysfunctional attitudes and depressive symptoms under stress. Methods In a longitudinal study, 92 healthy but unselected undergraduates were followed for three months including a stress period (four weeks of examinations). Results Our findings demonstrate that the more adaptive emotion regulation strategies are used in daily life (measured at baseline), the weaker the relationship between dysfunctional attitudes and depressive symptoms during stress. Interestingly, no single strategy demonstrates a unique predictive value, but only the combination of several adaptive strategies moderates the relationship between dysfunctional attitudes and depressive symptoms. Although participants with elevated depressive symptoms use more maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, these latter strategies do not moderate the association between dysfunctional attitudes and depressive symptoms. Limitations The use of a sample of undergraduates limits the generalizability and the clinical significance of our results. Conclusions Altogether, although dysfunctional attitudes are activated and accessible in response to certain life stressors, the strategies that healthy individuals use to adaptively regulate these cognitions seem important in determining the likelihood of depressive symptoms.