Depression, Anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Following Intimate Partner Violence: The Role of Self-Criticism, Guilt, and Gender Beliefs.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) predicts anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet the role of cognition in these pathways is poorly understood. This study explored whether self-criticism, guilt, and gender beliefs predicted psychological symptoms, using self-report data from 50 Colombian female IPV survivors with diverse socioeconomic statuses. Self-criticism and guilt were high and significantly associated with IPV. Self-criticism significantly predicted depression and PTSD, whilst only guilt predicted anxiety. Traditional gender role beliefs were associated with emotional abuse, but not with self-criticism, guilt, or symptoms. In conclusion, self-criticism and guilt are important treatment targets for female IPV survivors, regardless of gender beliefs.

Experiential Avoidance in Primary Care Providers: Psychometric Properties of the Brazilian "Acceptance and Action Questionnaire" (AAQ-II) and Its Criterion Validity on Mood Disorder-Related Psychological Distress.

BACKGROUND: A sizeable proportion of Brazilian Primary Care (PC) providers suffer from common mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression. In an effort to cope with job-related distress, PC workers are likely to implement maladaptive strategies such as experiential avoidance (EA). The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II) is a widely used instrument that evaluates EA but has shown questionable internal consistency in specific populations. This study assesses the psychometric properties of the AAQ-II among Brazilian PC providers, evaluates its convergence and divergence with self-criticism and mindfulness skills, and explores its criterion validity on anxiety and depressive symptoms. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was conducted in Brazilian PC services, and the sample included 407 PC workers. The measures evaluated EA, self-criticism, mindfulness, depression, and anxiety. RESULTS: The one-factor model of the AAQ-II replicated the original version structure. The AAQ-II presented good internal consistency among Brazilian PC providers. A multiple regression model demonstrated higher relationships with self-criticism than mindfulness skills. The criterion validity of the AAQ-II on anxiety and depression was stronger in the context of more severe symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The AAQ-II is an appropriate questionnaire to measure the lack of psychological flexibility among Brazilian PC workers in the sense of EA.

Abuse, invalidation, and lack of early warmth show distinct relationships with self-criticism, self-compassion, and fear of self-compassion in personality disorder.

BACKGROUND: Cultivating self-compassion is increasingly recognized as a powerful method to regulate hyperactive threat processes such as shame and self-criticism, but fear of self-compassion (FSC) can inhibit this. These difficulties are underexplored in personality disorder (PD) despite their prevalence. Furthermore, little evidence exists regarding how these factors relate to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and attachment. METHOD: Fifty-three participants with a diagnosis of PD completed measures including childhood abuse/neglect, invalidation, early warmth, self-compassion, shame, self-criticism, FSC, and anxious/avoidant attachment. RESULTS: Self-compassion was predicted uniquely by low early warmth; self-inadequacy by invalidation and abuse; and FSC by multiple ACEs. FSC and self-compassion were significantly correlated with self-criticism and shame, but not with one another. CONCLUSIONS: Low self-compassion and high FSC appear to be distinct problems, substantiating physiological models proposing distinct threat and soothing systems. Results are consistent with theories positing that low self-compassion has distinct origins to shame, self-criticism, and FSC.

Compassion-focused imagery reduces shame and is moderated by shame, self-reassurance and multisensory imagery vividness.

Compassion-focused imagery (CFI) is an emotion-regulation technique involving visualization of a person, animal or object offering one compassion, to generate feelings of safeness. It is proven to increase self-compassion and reduce negative affect. This study explores two hypotheses not previously investigated: i) which sensory modalities can stimulate compassionate affect; and ii) whether presentation of pictorial stimuli can enhance CFI. Additionally, we examine iii) whether CFI can reduce shame and iv) whether self-criticism inhibits CFI, since previous studies have involved small samples or methodological limitations. After completing measures of self-criticism, selfreassurance and imagery abilities in five sensory modalities, participants (n=160) were randomly assigned to look at compassionate images during CFI (visual input), compassionate images before CFI (priming), or abstract images (control). Participants trialled CFI then rated compassionate affect and completed open-response questions. Before and after CFI, participants recalled a shame-based memory and rated state shame. Correlational analyses explored whether self-criticism, self-reassurance, and multisensory imagery abilities moderated outcomes. CFI significantly reduced shame regarding a recalled memory, particularly for those high in shame. Compassionate affect was predicted by imagery vividness in visual and bodily-sensation modalities. Self-criticism predicted poorer CFI In multiple regressions, self-reassurance predicted poorer CFI outcomes but self-criticism did not. Between-group effects did not emerge. Qualitative data suggested that pictures helped some participants but hindered others. CFI is a promising technique for shame-prone clients, but may be challenging for those with low imagery abilities or unfamiliar with self-reassurance. Multiple senses should be engaged.

Estilos de personalidad dependiente y autocrítico: desempeño cognitivo y sintomatología depresiva / Dependent and self-critical personality styles: Cognitive performance and depressive symptomatology

Resumen El presente estudio explora la relación entre las dimensiones de personalidad dependiente y autocrítica, con los déficits emocionales, cognitivos y sociales asociados a la sintomatología depresiva. La muestra del estudio la conformaron 91 estudiantes universitarios pertenecientes a la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile y a la Universidad de Chile, con edades comprendidas entre los 18 y 24 años. Para explorar el estado emocional de los participantes se utilizaron los test Inventario de Depresión de Beck (BDI) y Depressive Experiences Question naire (DEQ). Con el fin de evaluar el desempeño cognitivo, se utilizaron: una tarea tipo Stroop y la prueba de Tiempo de Reacción Serial (SSRT), y para evaluar el nivel de mentalización, la tarea de reconocimiento facial Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task (RMET) de Baron-Cohen. Se encontraron correlaciones significativas entre las dimensiones dependencia y autocrítica, la sintomatología depresiva y el desempeño cognitivo de los participantes.

Abstract This study examines the relationship between the dependent and self-criticism Cognitive dimensions of personality with emotional, cognitive and social deficits associated with depres-sive symptoms. The sample included 91 college students, aged 18 to 24, from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad de Chile. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ) tests were used in order to explore the emotional state of the participants. A Stroop task and a Serial Reaction Time (SSRT) test were used in order to assess cognitive performance. In turn, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task (RMET) face recognition task, by Baron-Cohen, was used to assess the mentalising capacity. Sig nificant correlations were found between dependency and self-criticism dimensions, depressive symptoms and cognitive performance of the participant.