School of Psychological Sciences, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Br J Clin Psychol. 2020 Mar;59(1):66-79. doi: 10.1111/bjc.12232. Epub 2019 Jul 31.
Those with depression ascribe more negative appraisals to intrusive autobiographical memories and use maladaptive strategies to regulate intrusive memory distress. However, it is unknown whether these patterns extend to East Asian samples. This study investigated the influence of culture and depression on intrusive remembering.
The study used a 2 (group: European Australian, East Asian) × 2 (depression: depressed, control) cross-sectional design, with an online intrusive memory diary.
European Australian (n = 46) and East Asian (n = 45) participants living in Australia, with and without depression, reported two intrusive memories in real-time and completed self-report measures indexing their appraisals of the memories, and their use of cognitive avoidance and brooding rumination in response to the memories.
East Asian participants reported significantly greater negative, control, and responsibility appraisals than European Australian participants. Regardless of cultural group, depressed participants endorsed greater maladaptive memory appraisals and brooding compared to controls. Additionally, among East Asian participants, those with depression cognitively avoided memories significantly more than controls. When comparing the two depressed groups, East Asians reported significantly greater brooding and avoidance in response to intrusive memories than Australians.
The findings suggest that depression may be associated with some similar maladaptive responses to intrusive autobiographical memories across cultural groups. Clinical interventions targeting unhelpful responses may, therefore, be beneficial for those with depression, regardless of cultural background.
Across both European Australian and East Asian cultures, depressed participants endorsed higher maladaptive intrusive memory appraisals and brooded more in response to memories. Clinical interventions targeting appraisals and emotion regulation in response to intrusive memories may be beneficial for those with depression across both cultural groups. Language and acculturation may have impacted findings, as measures were administered in English and in Australia. Replication using a cross-country design and larger sample would be beneficial to confirm findings.
患有抑郁症的人会对侵入性自传体记忆做出更消极的评价，并使用适应不良的策略来调节侵入性记忆的困扰。然而，目前尚不清楚这些模式是否适用于东亚样本。本研究调查了文化和抑郁对侵入性记忆的影响。
该研究采用了 2（组：欧洲澳大利亚人，东亚人）×2（抑郁：抑郁，对照组）的横断面设计，使用在线侵入性记忆日记。
澳大利亚的欧洲澳大利亚人（n=46）和东亚人（n=45）参与者，无论是否患有抑郁症，都实时报告了两个侵入性记忆，并完成了自我报告的量表，这些量表记录了他们对记忆的评价，以及他们对记忆的认知回避和沉思反刍的使用。
东亚参与者报告的消极、控制和责任评价明显高于欧洲澳大利亚参与者。无论文化群体如何，抑郁参与者对记忆的评价以及沉思反刍都比对照组更不适应。此外，在东亚参与者中，与对照组相比，患有抑郁症的人对记忆的认知回避显著更多。在比较两个抑郁组时，东亚人报告说，与澳大利亚人相比，他们对侵入性记忆的沉思和回避更为明显。
研究结果表明，抑郁可能与文化群体之间某些类似的侵入性自传体记忆的适应不良反应有关。针对无益反应的临床干预可能对那些患有抑郁症的人有益，无论他们的文化背景如何。
在欧洲澳大利亚和东亚两种文化中，抑郁参与者对侵入性记忆的评价更不适应，对记忆的沉思更多。针对侵入性记忆的评价和情绪调节的临床干预可能对两种文化群体的抑郁症患者都有益。语言和文化适应可能会影响研究结果，因为测量是用英语和在澳大利亚进行的。使用跨国设计和更大的样本进行复制将有助于证实这些发现。
