Long term consequences of suppression of intrusive anxious thoughts and repressive coping

Geraerts, Elke; Merckelbach, Harald; Jelicic, Marko; Smeets, Elke

doi:10.1016/j.brat.2005.11.001

Cited by 67Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesMemory Processes and InfluencesIdentity, Memory, and Therapy

Long term consequences of suppression of intrusive anxious thoughts and repressive coping

Geraerts, Elke, Merckelbach, Harald, Jelicic, Marko, Smeets, Elke·2006·Behaviour Research and Therapy

DOI 10.1016/j.brat.2005.11.001

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Abstract

The current experiment employed a thought suppression paradigm to investigate whether repressors (N=40) are more skilled in suppressing positive and anxious autobiographical thoughts than low anxious (N=40), high anxious (N=40), and defensive high anxious (N=40) individuals, both immediately and over a longer time period (i.e., 7 days). Regardless of suppression instructions, repressors reported during their lab visit fewer target thoughts for their most anxious events than participants in the other three groups. However, over a 7 days period, repressors showed the highest number of intrusive thoughts about their anxious autobiographical events. Thus, our results demonstrate that repressive coping might be adaptive in the short run, but counterproductive in the long run.

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“As noted previously, some types of avoidance strategies, such as distraction, can be beneficial with acute psychological and physical symptoms [27, 56].”
From Mindfulness, Experiential Avoidance, and Recovery From Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. (2019) · cites this paper as [27]

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Authors: Geraerts, E., Merckelbach, H., Jelicic, M., & Smeets, E.
Affiliations: Maastricht University (NL)
Corresponding author: Geraerts, Elke
ORCID: Merckelbach, Harald
Venue: Behaviour Research and Therapy
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2006-10
Volume: 44
Issue: 10
Pages: 1451-1460
ISSN: 0005-7967 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2005.11.001
OpenAlex: W2035953010
Cited by: 67
References: 38
Citations by year: 2025: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 5 · 2017: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 4
FWCI: 6.94
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: Behaviour Research and Therapy (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Research Publications (Maastricht University) (publishedVersion)
Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
Keywords: thought suppression, repressive coping, intrusive thoughts, anxious thoughts, autobiographical memory, anxiety, long-term effects, defensive coping
MeSH terms: Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Psychometrics, Mental Recall, Repression, Psychology

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Long term consequences of suppression of intrusive anxious thoughts and repressive coping

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