Contradicting effects of self-insight: Self-insight can conditionally contribute to increased depressive symptoms. (1st January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nakajima, Miho; Takano, Keisuke; Tanno, Yoshihiko
• Is Part Of: Personality and individual differences. Volume 120(2017)
• Page Start: 127
• Page End: 132
• Publication Date: 2018-01-01
• Subjects: Self-insight -- Self-complexity -- Depressive symptoms; Personality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Individuality -- Periodicals; Personality Development -- Periodicals; Personnalité -- Périodiques; Individualité -- Périodiques; 155.205
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2017.08.033
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0191-8869

Abstract

Abstract: Past research has suggested that self-insight functions as a genuine factor to enhance psychological adjustment. However, because most of the previous studies had used a cross-sectional design, a prospective study was warranted to establish the temporal and causal relationship between self-insight and depressive symptoms. Another important issue was that there seems to be a moderator that influences the adaptive function of self-insight. Stein and Grant (2014) suggested that positive self-evaluation mediates the association between self-insight and well-being. This result could imply that self-insight does not lead to well-being with negative self-evaluation. In this study, therefore, we conducted a longitudinal questionnaire survey to examine the prospective effect of self-insight on future depressive symptoms with self-complexity as a putative moderator. A complete dataset of 93 Japanese undergraduates was analyzed. The prospective analysis showed a significant moderating role of negative self-complexity in the associations among self-insight, depressive symptoms, and stress; people with high self-insight and low negative self-complexity were less likely to be influenced by stressors, whereas those with high self-insight and high negative self-complexity showed significant increases in depressive symptoms after stressful experiences. These findings implicate that the adaptive effect of self-insight can be conditional depending on the extent of negative self-complexity. Highlights: Self-insight has been considered as a factor that enhances psychological adjustment. However, we found that the adaptive effect of self-insight was conditional. Self-insight with high negative self-complexity was related to increased depression.