title: Cognitive emotion regulation strategies and neuroticism in relation to depressive symptoms following burn injury: a longitudinal study with a 2-year follow-up.
abstract: Sustaining burns is considered a stressful life event that has the power to elicit depressive symptoms. This study aimed to identify predictors of depressive symptoms by investigating the role of demographic variables, the number of operations (burn severity), neuroticism, and cognitive emotion regulation styles as possible influencing factors. Data from 242 patients with burns were analyzed employing latent growth modeling. The level of depressive symptoms across the 2-year interval was associated with burn severity, higher levels of neuroticism and rumination, and lower levels of positive refocusing. Notably, rumination partly mediated the effect of neuroticism on the course of depressive symptoms. Correlational analysis suggested a specific effect of burn severity on rumination. The results indicate that screening for symptoms of depression, rumination, and neuroticism in burn patients is useful. Early interventions focusing on cognitive restructuring could assist in improving the cognitive emotional adaptation process following a burn event.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosocial and Behavioural Research, Association of Dutch Burns Centres, P.O. Box 1015, 1940 EA, Beverwijk, The Netherlands, nvanloey@burns.nl.
authors.forename: Nancy E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Van Loey
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oggel
authors.forename: Anne-Sofie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Goemanne
authors.forename: Leen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Braem
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vanbrabant
authors.forename: Rinie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Geenen
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D002056:Burns / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D000075384:Neuroticism; D010556:Personality Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales