Aim of this study is to examine the mechanisms by which attachment style and emotion regulation relate to depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms in a clinical and non-clinical Dutch population.
ID
Source
Brief title
Condition
- Mood disorders and disturbances NEC
Synonym
Research involving
Sponsors and support
Intervention
Outcome measures
Primary outcome
Primary study parameters are:
- Attachment: safe, anxious, and avoidant attachment
- Emotion regulation: lack of emotional clarity, lack of emotional awareness,
impulsivity, non-acceptance of emotional responses, limited access to emotion
regulation strategies, difficulties in goal-directed behavior.
- Depression: depressive symptoms
- Anxiety: anxiety symptoms
- Emotions: reaction time computerized task and self-report (4 measurement
moments) of depression, anger, fatigue, strength, and tension
Secondary outcome
not applicable
Background summary
Depression and anxiety disorders are common psychological disorders. Depression
is worldwide one of the most important causes of the disease burden (World
Health Organisation, 2010). The percentage of the Dutch adult population to 65
years who suffered from an anxiety disorder is 10.1% (Trimbos Instituut, 2010).
All kinds of different factors may influence the development and/or maintenance
of depression and anxiety disorders. An important factor that is likely to
affect the development of psychopathology is attachment (Muris, Meesters,
Melick, van & Zwambag, 2001). An attachment style is developed during childhood
and is the basis of how people respond to stress or how to deal with
abandonment in adult life (Ainsworth, 1973). Emotion regulation, the extrinsic
and intrinsic processes responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and adapting
emotional responses (Thompson, 1991), is a second important factor. Prior
research showed that the use of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies
predicts an increase in depressive symptoms (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2000; Blalock &
Joiner, 2000) and the use of adaptive emotion regulation strategies, such as
positive thinking, buffer against depressive symptoms (Gross, 1998).
Because of the high prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders it is
important to gain knowledge of the determinants of these psychological
disorders, in order to improve prevention and intervention programs. This
experimental study aims to examine how attachment and emotion regulation
together predict depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms in clinical and
non-clinical groups. As far as we know, this is the first experimental study in
which attachment style is activated in people with a psychological disorder and
in which the association between attachment and emotion regulation is examined.
Because self-reports of both attachment and emotion regulation can cause
inflated effect sizes because of the use of the same assessment method and the
same informant (Bank, Dishion, Skinner, & Patterson, 1990), it is important to
experimentally activate attachment style to investigate attachment and emotion
regulation as determinants of depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms.
Study objective
Aim of this study is to examine the mechanisms by which attachment style and
emotion regulation relate to depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms in a
clinical and non-clinical Dutch population.
Study design
The study design is a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Subjects perform a
computerized Stroop task. They are randomly assigned to either an
attachment-related condition (attachment style is activated) or a neutral
condition. Emotion regulation is measured by means of reaction times for
indicating wordcolours. Furtermore, before and after the computerized task,
emotions, depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms are measured by
administering questionnaires. Results of a clinical group of patients with a
depressive disorder and an anxiety disorder are compared with a non-clinical
control group, consisting of undergraduate psychology students.
Intervention
not applicable
Study burden and risks
We do not expect that this study will be harmful for participants. To check,
all participants will be asked afterwards if the study caused unpleasant
feelings and all patients will be phoned to ask how they are doing. The
disadvantage for the participants is the time they should invest in the study.
After finishing the study, participants will receive a summary of the results.
They may gain more insight into the factors that are of importance for
depressive symptoms of anxiety symptoms.
Warandelaan 2
Tilburg 5037 AB
NL
Warandelaan 2
Tilburg 5037 AB
NL
Listed location countries
Age
Inclusion criteria
De inclusie criteria zijn: (a) het voldoen aan een depressieve stoornis of angststoornis volgens de criteria van de DSM-IV; (b) een leeftijd tussen 16-65 jaar.
Exclusion criteria
De exclusie criteria zijn: (a) lage intelligentie (intelligentiequotiënt < 80); (b) de aanwezigheid van huidige psychotische symptomen of schizofrenie; (c) verslavingsproblematiek; (d) een bipolaire stoornis; (e) ernstige neurologische beperking (e.g. dementie, doofheid, blindheid); (f) een autisme spectrum stoornis; (g) risico op suïcide.
Design
Recruitment
Followed up by the following (possibly more current) registration
No registrations found.
Other (possibly less up-to-date) registrations in this register
No registrations found.
In other registers
| Register | ID |
|---|---|
| CCMO | NL35374.008.11 |