title: Difficulties in disengaging attentional resources from self-generated thoughts moderate the link between dysphoria and maladaptive self-referential thinking.
abstract: Negative emotions increase self-focused attention, a core feature of depression and anxiety-related disorders. However, the cognitive mechanisms associated with the tendency to self-focus-and, conversely, with the ability to voluntarily disengage attentional resources from the self and direct them towards the external environment-remain poorly understood. Thus, this study aimed to examine whether a specific cognitive control mechanism that directs attention between self-generated thoughts and external information might moderate the relationship between dysphoria and maladaptive self-referential thinking. Results showed that dysphoria increases the frequency of rumination, self-blame, and catastrophising, especially for participants who have more difficulty in switching from self-generated thoughts to information provided by the environment. These results shed new light on the cognitive mechanisms underlying maladaptive self-referential thinking associated with dysphoria. More specifically, this specific cognitive mechanism might play a key role in the maintenance or amplification of a depressed mood.
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Psychopathology and Neuropsychology Unit, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. Lucien.Rochat@unige.ch
authors.forename: Lucien
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rochat
authors.forename: Joël
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Billieux
authors.forename: Martial
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van der Linden
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D003071:Cognition; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011930:Reaction Time; D057566:Self Report; D013850:Thinking