Fixable or Fate? Perceptions of the Biology of Depression
Fixable or Fate? Perceptions of the Biology of Depression
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DOI：
10.1037/a0031730
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发表时间：
2013-06-01
影响因子：
5.9
通讯作者：
Nolen-Hoeksema, Susan
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Lebowitz, Matthew S.;Ahn, Woo-kyoung;Nolen-Hoeksema, Susan
目的：以往的研究表明，生物（e。例如，在一个实施例中，遗传学、生物化学）对抑郁症的解释--目前占优势--与公众对该综合征预后的悲观看法有关。这项研究首次检验了有抑郁症状的人是否会将抑郁的生物学描述与对自己的情绪的悲观主义联系起来，以及将抑郁的生物学描述为可延展的心理教育干预是否可以减少有症状的个体的预后悲观主义。方法：在3项研究中，参与者被在线招募并评估抑郁症状。那些有显著抑郁症状的患者（贝克抑郁量表-II评分至少为16分）对其症状的生化和遗传因果归因表示认可，并表示症状持续时间的预期长度。视听干预强调基因效应和神经化学的可塑性的发展，其对有症状的个人的预后悲观，代理，内疚感和一般的绝望感的影响进行了测量。结果如下：抑郁症的生化和遗传因果归因与有症状个体的预后悲观显着相关。延展性干预显著降低了预后悲观，增加了代理的感觉，并减少了一般的绝望。结论：抑郁症的生化和遗传归因与抑郁症状个体的预后悲观有关，而不仅仅是在普通大众中。然而，强调抑郁症中基因效应和大脑化学的可塑性可以培养对抑郁症相关信念的更多乐观态度。
Objective: Previous research has shown that biological (e. g., genetic, biochemical) accounts of depression-currently in ascendancy-are linked to the general public's pessimism about the syndrome's prognosis. This research examined for the first time whether people with depressive symptoms would associate biological accounts of depression with pessimism about their own prognoses and whether a psychoeducation intervention portraying the biology of depression as malleable could decrease prognostic pessimism among symptomatic individuals. Method: In 3 studies, participants were recruited online and assessed for depression symptoms. Those with significant depressive symptomatology (a Beck Depression Inventory-II score of at least 16) rated their endorsement of biochemical and genetic causal attributions for their symptoms and indicated expected length of symptom duration. An audiovisual intervention emphasizing the malleability of gene effects and neurochemistry was developed, and its effects on symptomatic individuals' prognostic pessimism, feelings of agency, guilt, and general hopelessness were measured. Results: Biochemical and genetic causal attributions for depression were significantly associated with prognostic pessimism among symptomatic individuals. The malleability intervention significantly reduced prognostic pessimism, increased feelings of agency, and decreased general hopelessness. Conclusions: Biochemical and genetic attributions for depression are related to prognostic pessimism among individuals with depressive symptoms, and not just among the general public. However, emphasizing the malleability of gene effects and brain chemistry in depression can foster more optimism about depression-related beliefs.