Responses to affect subtypes differentially associate with anxious and depressive symptom severity

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Affective Science

Background:

• Responses to affect involve cognitive processes and valence modulation.
• Limited research exists on the factor structure of affect response dimensions.
• Understanding these structures is crucial for mental health research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the factor structure of responses to affect, specifically repetitive negative thinking, positive affect rumination, and dampening.
• To examine the associations between these emergent factors and internalizing symptoms.
• To inform the development of targeted cognitive interventions for anxiety and depression.

Main Methods:

• Conducted an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on assessment items.
• Included measures of repetitive negative thinking, rumination on positive affect (PA), and dampening.
• Examined associations with depressive, social anxiety, and non-social state anxiety symptoms.

Main Results:

• An EFA revealed a three-factor model: repetitive negative thinking, dampening, and rumination on PA.
• Repetitive negative thinking and dampening were significantly associated.
• Repetitive negative thinking and dampening correlated with increased internalizing symptoms; PA rumination correlated with decreased symptoms.

Conclusions:

• The study clarifies the factor structure of affect responses.
• Identifies distinct associations between these responses and internalizing symptoms.
• Findings support tailoring cognitive interventions for emotional regulation in anxiety and depression.