Visual attention during cognitive reappraisal in adolescent major depression: Evidence from two eye-tracking studies. (June 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Feldmann, Lisa; Zsigo, Carolin; Piechaczek, Charlotte; Schröder, Pia-Theresa; Wachinger, Christian; Schulte-Körne, Gerd; Greimel, Ellen
• Is Part Of: Behaviour research and therapy. Volume 153(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-06
• Subjects: Depression -- Adolescence -- Emotion regulation -- Eye-tracking -- Cognitive reappraisal -- Visual attention; MD major depression -- CR cognitive reappraisal -- HC healthy control -- ER emotion regulation -- BDI-II Beck Depression Inventory-II -- FEEL-KJ Questionnaire for the Assessment of Emotion Regulation in Children and Adolescents -- SDS-17 Social Desirability Scale-17 -- IAPS International Affective Picture System -- eAOI emotional area of interest -- SAM self-assessment manikin rating scale; Cognitive therapy -- Periodicals; Psychotherapy -- Periodicals; 616.891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2022.104099
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0005-7967

Abstract

Abstract: Adolescent major depression (MD) is associated with impaired emotion regulation. However, results on cognitive reappraisal (CR) are mixed. Investigation of gaze behavior during CR allows a more thorough understanding of intact and deviant CR processes in MD. These studies examined for the first time the role of visual attention during CR in MD. We applied an established CR paradigm in two separate studies, with each study focusing on a different CR strategy. In Study 1, we investigated "distancing" in 39 adolescents with MD and 44 healthy controls (HCs). In Study 2, we applied "reinterpretation" in an independent sample of 37 HCs and 19 adolescents with MD. In both studies, adolescents either down-regulated negative affect to negative pictures via CR or attended them, while eye-movements were continuously recorded. Results of both studies showed that adolescents with MD and HCs did not differ in self-reported ER success. The groups showed comparable gaze behaviour patterns for emotional interest areas and entire pictures. Findings suggest that adolescents with MD are capable of applying CR when instructed and show intact visual attention processes. Future studies should examine whether repeatedly instructing adolescents with MD to apply CR might lead to improved emotion regulation in daily life. Highlights: We assessed gaze behaviour during cognitive reappraisal (CR) in adolescent MD. In Study 1, we investigated the CR strategy distancing in an eye-tracking task. Youths with MD did not differ in emotion regulation success from healthy controls. Both groups showed comparable gaze behaviour. In Study 2, results were replicated for the CR strategy reinterpretation.