Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
Transl Psychiatry. 2021 May 14;11(1):288. doi: 10.1038/s41398-021-01397-5.
Decentering is a ubiquitous therapeutic concept featuring in multiple schools of psychological intervention and science. It describes an ability to notice to day-to-day psychological stressors (negative thoughts, feelings, and memories) from an objective self-perspective and without perseverating on the themes they represent. Thus, decentering dampens the impact and distress associated with psychological stressors that can otherwise increase mental ill health in vulnerable individuals. Importantly, the strengthening of decentering-related abilities has been flagged as a core component of psychological interventions that treat and prevent anxiety and depression. We provide an in-depth review evidence of the salutary effects of decentering with a special focus on youth mental health. This is because adolescence is a critical window for the development of psychopathology but is often under-represented in this research line. A narrative synthesis is presented that integrates and summarizes findings on a range of decentering-related abilities. Section 1 reviews extant conceptualizations of decentering and data-driven approaches to characterize its characteristic. A novel definition is then offered to guide future empirical research. Section 2 overviews laboratory-based research into the development of decentering as well as its relationship with anxiety and depression. Section 3 examines the role decentering-related skills play in psychological interventions for anxiety and depression. Critically, we review evidence that treatment-related increases in decentering predict latter reductions in anxiety and depression severity. Each section highlights important areas for future research. The report concludes by addressing the vital questions of whether, how, why and when decentering alleviates youth anxiety and depression.
去中心化是一种普遍存在的治疗概念，存在于多种心理干预和科学学派中。它描述了一种从客观自我角度注意日常生活心理压力源（负面想法、感受和记忆）的能力，而不会对它们所代表的主题产生执着。因此，去中心化可以减轻与心理压力源相关的影响和痛苦，否则这些压力源会增加脆弱个体的心理健康问题。重要的是，增强与去中心化相关的能力已被标记为治疗和预防焦虑和抑郁的心理干预的核心组成部分。我们提供了对去中心化有益效果的深入回顾证据，特别关注青年心理健康。这是因为青春期是精神病理学发展的关键窗口，但在该研究领域中往往代表性不足。提出了一种叙述性综合，综合和总结了一系列与去中心化相关的能力的研究结果。第 1 节回顾了去中心化的现有概念化和数据驱动方法来描述其特征。然后提供了一个新的定义来指导未来的实证研究。第 2 节概述了实验室研究去中心化的发展及其与焦虑和抑郁的关系。第 3 节研究了与去中心化相关的技能在焦虑和抑郁的心理干预中的作用。至关重要的是，我们回顾了证据，即治疗相关的去中心化增加预测了焦虑和抑郁严重程度的后期降低。每个部分都强调了未来研究的重要领域。该报告最后讨论了去中心化是否以及如何缓解青少年焦虑和抑郁、为什么以及何时缓解的重要问题。
