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Relationships Between Refraining From Catastrophic Thinking, Repetitive Negative Thinking, and Psychological Distress
Tomoko Sugiura1, Yoshinori Sugiura2
1Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan.
Psychological Reports
|August 12, 2016
Summary
Refraining from catastrophic thinking reduces psychological distress by decreasing repetitive negative thinking. This skill is key to mitigating conditions like depression and anxiety.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Background:
- Repetitive negative thinking, including worry, is a common factor in psychological distress.
- Catastrophic thinking is a specific type of repetitive negative thinking often linked to anxiety disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between refraining from catastrophic thinking and psychological distress.
- To examine whether reduced repetitive negative thinking mediates the effect of refraining from catastrophic thinking on psychological distress.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional questionnaire data were collected from 125 nonclinical students.
- Latent factors for psychological distress (depression, social anxiety, phobia, generalized anxiety, obsessions, compulsions) were computed.
- Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed mediation model.
Main Results:
- Refraining from catastrophic thinking showed significant negative correlations with all measured forms of psychological distress.
- Repetitive negative thinking significantly mediated the relationship between refraining from catastrophic thinking and latent distress factors (Fear and Distress).
Conclusions:
- Skills in refraining from catastrophic thinking are associated with lower levels of psychological distress.
- Reducing repetitive negative thinking appears to be a key mechanism through which refraining from catastrophic thinking exerts its beneficial effects on mental health.
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