Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026
08:42
Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression
Published on: May 19, 2015
Psychopathology and thought suppression: a quantitative review
Joshua C Magee1, K Paige Harden, Bethany A Teachman
1Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, the Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI 02903, USA. jmagee2@lifespan.org
Clinical Psychology Review
|March 6, 2012
Summary
Difficulty with thought suppression did not differ between clinical and non-clinical groups overall. However, some psychopathology types, like Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), showed slightly less intrusive thought recurrence during suppression attempts.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Psychopathology
Background:
- Recent theories suggest thought suppression may worsen intrusive thoughts.
- Difficulty with thought suppression might vary across psychopathology groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To meta-analytically review evidence on thought suppression difficulty.
- To examine if psychopathology presence or type affects intrusive thought recurrence during suppression.
Main Methods:
- Meta-analytic review of empirical studies.
- Comparison of thought recurrence in diagnosed/analogue samples versus non-clinical samples.
Main Results:
- No overall significant difference in thought recurrence during suppression between clinical and non-clinical groups.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) samples showed slightly less recurrence than non-clinical samples.
- Observed differences were small and provided mixed support for existing theories.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence offers limited support for theories linking thought suppression difficulty to psychopathology.
- Mechanisms of thought suppression in intrusive thoughts require further investigation.
- Cognitive theories of intrusive thoughts may need refinement.
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