The influence of self-criticism on depression symptoms among ambulatory patients with IBD.

The influence of self-criticism on depression symptoms among ambulatory patients with IBD. Clin Psychol Psychother. 2019 Oct 15;: Authors: Trindade IA, Irons C, Ferreira C, Portela F, Pinto-Gouveia J Abstract Considering that self-criticism is an important process in the development and maintenance of depression, and taking into account the stigma associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the present study aimed to analyse whether self-criticism exacerbates the relationships of depression symptoms with IBD symptomatology and chronic illness-related shame. The sample included 53 ambulatory IBD patients (34% males) with ages from 18 to 65. Moderation analyses were conducted using structural equation modelling. Self-criticism exacerbated the associations of depression with IBD symptoms (b=0.01; S.E.=0.00; Z=3.73; p<0.001) and illness shame (b=0.02; S.E.=0.01; Z=2.40; p=0.016). For the same level of IBD symptomatology or chronic illness-related shame, those individuals who present more feelings of inadequacy towards the self, experience more symptoms of depression. This exacerbation effect is stronger when IBD symptomatology and chronic illness-related shame are more intense. A high self-critical IBD patient may view the illness and/or symptomatology as a flaw or error that should be self-corrected. Physicians and other health professionals should be attentive to these pathological mechanisms and should attempt to alleviate th...
Source: Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Clin Psychol Psychother Source Type: research