Distraction is used as an emotion regulation strategy in which the person shifts their attention away from the emotion-evocating side of the situation to another part of the situation or an entirely different situation. Enjoyable or neutral distractions can temporarily improve the mood, foster problem-solving, and break the ruminative cycle. However, chronic usage of distraction can produce maladaptive avoidance.

State University of New York at Albany

These are the most common maladaptive emotion regulation strategies; these strategies can worsen the symptoms of major depression disorder. 
* Rumination.
* Distraction.
* Dampening.
* Emotion Suppression.

Maladaptive Emotion Regulation Strategies in Major Depression Disorder

Liu, D. Y., & Thompson, R. J. (2017). Selection and implementation of emotion regulation strategies in major depressive disorder: An integrative review. Clinical Psychology Review. 57, 183-194. doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2017.07.004

Emotion Regulation Strategies in Major Depression Disorder Reference

Rumination is a maladaptive emotion regulation strategy in which a person repetitively focuses on their emotions and the reason for these emotions. Rumination can be maladaptive for everyone regardless of having a mental illness. Research has found that rumination is linked to higher intensities of depressive symptoms. Major depression disorder patients report more rumination than non-depression individuals. It was also found that major depression disorder patients are also more negatively affected by rumination when it was experimentally induced than undepressed individuals.

Rumination and Major Depression Disorder

Suppression is a maladaptive emotion regulation strategy in which behavioral, experimental, and physical aspects of emotional reactions are inhibited. People who suppress emotion expression report experiencing greater negative emotions and fewer positive emotions than the ones who do not suppress emotions. Emotion suppression is also correlated with more rumination, depressive symptoms, and aversive thoughts. Major depression disorder patients engage in both negative and positive emotion suppression regularly more than non-depressed individuals.

Emotion Suppression and Major Depression Disorder

Emotion dampening is used by people with major depression disorder, it involves the use of negative thoughts to diminish the extent and strength of positive emotions. This is because low self-esteem can cause the person to think of themselves as undeserving of positive emotions and dampen them. Emotion dampening is correlated with having more depressive symptoms. Individuals with major depression disorder dampen their emotions more than non-depressed people.

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