Acute psychosocial stress does not increase dysfunctional attitudes

Area of Science:

• Cognitive psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Adolescent mental health

Background:

• Dysfunctional attitudes, measured by the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS), are linked to major depressive disorder.
• Latent negative schemas in never-depressed individuals may activate under stress, leading to negative cognitions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if everyday psychosocial stresses activate dysfunctional self-schemas and increase negative cognitions in healthy adolescents.
• To investigate the effect of stress on negative cognitions in previously depressed adolescents.

Main Methods:

• 92 never-depressed and 18 previously depressed adolescents (aged 17-19) participated.
• Participants completed the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS) at rest and after the Trier Social Stress Test.

Main Results:

• The Trier Social Stress Test did not significantly alter DAS scores in either group.
• Brief psychosocial stress did not influence negative assumptions in healthy young adults or those with a history of depression.

Conclusions:

• Short-term psychosocial stress is insufficient to activate negative assumptions in adolescents.
• Dysfunctional assumptions may not be latent, unlike self-schemas, requiring prolonged stress to impact depression risk.