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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: The self-control model of depression suggests depressive symptoms to derive from distorted self-monitoring, dysfunctional self-evaluation and reduced self-reward as well as increased self-punishment. Building on this model a relationship between self-directed passive-aggressive behaviour, that is, harmful inactivity, and depression has been assumed. This association has been supported by a recent study in an inpatient sample. However, it remains unclear if patients with depressive disorders report more self-directed passive-aggressive behaviour than patients without depressive disorders and if self-directed passive aggression mediates the associations between distorted self-monitoring and dysfunctional self-evaluation with depressive symptoms.
METHODS: Study 1 compared self-directed passive-aggressive behaviour levels between 220 psychotherapy outpatients with (n = 140; 67.9% female; M(age) = 40.0) and without (n = 80; 65.0% female; M(age) = 36.2) depressive disorders. Diagnoses were made based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Study 2 examined self-directed passive-aggressive behaviour as a mediator of the relationship between distorted self-monitoring and dysfunctional self-evaluation and self-reported depressive symptoms in 200 undergraduate Psychology students.
RESULTS: Compared to outpatients without depressive disorders, outpatients with depressive disorder reported significantly more self-directed passive aggression (d = 0.51). Furthermore, Study 2 verified self-directed passive-aggressive behaviour as a partial mediator of the relationship between dysfunctional attitudes (ab(cs) = .22, 95%-CI:.14,.31), attributional style (ab(cs) = .20, 95%-CI:.13,.27), ruminative response style (ab(cs) = .15, 95%-CI:.09,.21) and depressive symptoms.
CONCLUSION: Self-directed passive-aggressive behaviour partially mediates the association between distorted self-monitoring and dysfunctional self-evaluation with depressive symptoms. Future longitudinal studies need to examine a potential causal relationship that would form a base to include interventions targeting self-directed passive-aggressive behaviour in prevention and treatment of depression. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Both studies were preregistered at the German Clinical Trials Register ( DRKS00014005 and DRKS00019020 ).
Language: en |