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Disorder-specific automatic self-associations in depression and anxiety: results of The Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 October 2009

K. A. Glashouwer  and
P. J. de Jong
K. A. Glashouwer*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
P. J. de Jong
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
*
*Address for correspondence: K. A. Glashouwer, M.Sc., Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1.9712 TSGroningen, The Netherlands. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Cognitive theory points to the importance of negative self-schemas in the onset and maintenance of depression and anxiety disorders. Hereby, it is important to distinguish between automatic and explicit self-schemas, reflecting different cognitive-motivational systems. This study tested whether patients with a current major depression and/or anxiety disorder are characterized by automatic self-anxious and self-depressive associations and whether these associations are disorder specific.

Method

Patients (n=2329) and non-clinical controls (n=652) were tested as part of The Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety, a multi-center, longitudinal, cohort study with patients from different health care settings. Patient groups and non-clinical controls (18–65 years of age) were compared with regard to automatic self-anxious and self-depressive associations measured with the Implicit Association Test.

Results

Individuals with an anxiety disorder showed enhanced self-anxious associations, whereas individuals with a depression showed enhanced self-depressive associations. Individuals with co-morbid disorders scored high on both automatic self-associations. Although remitted individuals showed weaker automatic self-associations than people with a current disorder, their automatic self-anxious/depressed associations were still significantly stronger than those of the control group. Importantly, automatic self-associations showed predictive validity for the severity of anxious and depressive symptoms over and above explicit self-beliefs.

Conclusions

This study represents the first evidence that automatic self-anxious and self-depressive associations are differentially involved in anxiety disorders and depression. This may help to explain the refractoriness of these disorders and points to the potential importance of automatic self-associations in the development of psychopathological symptoms.

Keywords

Anxietyautomatic associationsdepressionIAT
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 40 , Issue 7 , July 2010 , pp. 1101 - 1111
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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