Cognitive emotion regulation strategies contributing to resilience in patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders

Objective

Research suggests that resilience is associated with favorable treatment outcome in patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders. In this regard, the identification of specific characteristics related to resilience that could provide targets for resilience-enhancement interventions is needed. Since the type of cognitive coping strategies is a possible marker of resilience, we investigated adaptive and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies contributing to resilience in patients with depression and/or anxiety disorders.

Methods

A total of 230 outpatients with depression and anxiety disorders were consecutively recruited and completed the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the State Anxiety Inventory. A linear regression model was used to determine which cognitive emotion regulation strategies predicted resilience after controlling for relevant covariates. Additionally, this model of resilience was compared with those of depression and anxiety symptoms.

Results

Adaptive strategies were more strongly correlated with resilience than maladaptive strategies. In the regression model, more use of refocus on planning and positive reappraisal as well as less use of rumination predicted high resilience after controlling for age, gender, marital status, depression, and anxiety. Among these strategies, refocus on planning was the common strategy contributing to resilience and depression.

Conclusion

These results suggested that the cognitive emotion regulation strategies of refocus on planning, positive reappraisal, and less rumination contribute to resilience in patients with depression and anxiety disorders. It might provide potential targets for psychotherapeutic intervention to improve resilience in these patients.