Background: Previous research has shown that cognitive reactivity predicts first onsets of depression over a two-year period. Its predictive power over longer periods is unknown. Aim: To...Show moreBackground: Previous research has shown that cognitive reactivity predicts first onsets of depression over a two-year period. Its predictive power over longer periods is unknown. Aim: To investigate the predictive power of cognitive reactivity on first depression onset over a span of six years. Secondly, to explore the possible moderating role of anxiety disorder diagnosis at baseline. Design and methods: In a longitudinal prospective design, 719 never-depressed individuals were observed over a span of two, four, and six years. Cognitive reactivity was measured using the Leiden Index of Depression Sensitivity-Revised (LEIDS-R) (Van der Does & Williams, 2003) self-report scale. Using multivariate binary logistic regression, the prognostic value of the LEIDS-R scores for first depression onset were tested against several background variables and established risk factors of depression. Analyses were repeated in high- and low-risk groups. Results: The analyses of the whole sample and the lower risk sample showed that cognitive reactivity was associated with the incidence of first depression onset over a span of two- and six years. In the higher risk sample, cognitive reactivity was not a significant predictor for depression incidence over a span of two years, but it was over a span of six years. Conclusion: The outcomes of the present research suggest that cognitive reactivity is a strong predictor for first depression onset over a six-year period, both in high- and low-risk groups. These findings emphasize the need for further research on this relationship.Show less
Vulnerability to depression can be indicated by cognitive reactivity (CR), which is the ease with which depressive thoughts are (re-)activated in people who are not currently depressed (Solis et al...Show moreVulnerability to depression can be indicated by cognitive reactivity (CR), which is the ease with which depressive thoughts are (re-)activated in people who are not currently depressed (Solis et al., 2017). The golden standard to measure CR as the change in dysfunctional cognition scores before and after mood induction, is the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS). However, the use of mood induction and the administration of the DAS are not always reliable (Martin, 1990; Gillies & Dozois, 2021; Solis et al., 2017). The LEIDS(-R) questionnaire was developed to measure CR without the need of mood induction. The aim of this study is to compare both questionnaires on the basis of a meta-analysis. The following main question is formulated: Is the LEIDS(-R) a more accurate index of depression vulnerability compared to the DAS? To answer this question, a Bayesian meta-analysis was done in JASP. A systematic literature search resulted in fourteen articles that made use of the LEIDS(-R) and DAS and compared CR scores for previously depressed and never depressed groups. We found that the LEIDS(-R) has a significantly larger effect size than the DAS difference score in the distinction between vulnerable (previously depressed) and non-vulnerable (never-depressed) groups. This indicates that the LEIDS(-R) is more reliable in the measurement of vulnerability to depression relapse. However, it is advised that more research is done on the concept of CR and its measurement, to ensure that differences between the DAS and LEIDS(-R) are not due to measuring a slightly different concept.Show less
