University of Twente Student Theses

Login

Resilience to stress : the effect of subclinical psychopathology and state rumination on affective stress recovery

Tönsmeier, K. (2022) Resilience to stress : the effect of subclinical psychopathology and state rumination on affective stress recovery.

[img] PDF
298kB
Abstract:Background. To prevent stress from negatively impacting mental health, successful affective stress recovery is essential. Existing studies pointed to an association between psychopathology and delayed affective recovery from daily stressors. It was suggested that delayed stress recovery may indicate a risk for mental illness before it manifests, underscoring a possible influence of subclinical psychopathology on stress recovery. Yet, laboratory studies examining this association in a controlled environment are scarce. Furthermore, maladaptive emotion regulation strategies were associated with delayed stress recovery. It remains questionable whether rumination following a stressor (i.e., state rumination) amplifies the potential relationship between subclinical psychopathology and affective stress recovery. Objective. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether subclinical psychopathology predicts slower affective stress recovery and whether state rumination plays a moderating role within that association. Method. A sample of 53 participants aged between 19 and 35 years completed the repeated Montreal Imaging Stress Test (rMIST). Before the task, the participant’s level of subclinical psychopathology was assessed using the SCL-90-R. Negative affect was measured at five different time points (i.e., after the baseline, control, stress, and recovery phase). State rumination was assessed during the recovery phase. Results. The results of a multiple regression analysis revealed no significant effect of subclinical psychopathology on affective stress recovery. The moderation analysis resulted in a non-significant interaction effect. Conclusion. Neither the hypothesis that subclinical psychopathology predicts delayed affective stress recovery nor the hypothesis that this relationship is moderated by state rumination was supported by the research findings. Future studies with a more representative sample and a higher degree of subclinical psychopathology are required to replicate the results. Moreover, state rumination should be considered as a mediator in future research.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:77 psychology
Programme:Psychology MSc (66604)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/92070
Export this item as:BibTeX
EndNote
HTML Citation
Reference Manager

 

Repository Staff Only: item control page