Changes of explicitly and implicitly measured self-esteem in the treatment of major depression: Evidence for implicit self-esteem compensation
Background and objectives: Self-esteem has been claimed to be an important factor in the development and maintenance of depression. Whereas explicit self-esteem is usually reduced in depressed individuals, studies on implicitly measured self-esteem in depression exhibit a more heterogeneous pattern...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2015-04-01
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| Series: | Comprehensive Psychiatry |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010440X14003526 |
| _version_ | 1818318776619237376 |
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| author | Ingo Wegener Franziska Geiser Susanne Alfter Jan Mierke Katrin Imbierowicz Alexandra Kleiman Anne Sarah Koch Rupert Conrad |
| author_facet | Ingo Wegener Franziska Geiser Susanne Alfter Jan Mierke Katrin Imbierowicz Alexandra Kleiman Anne Sarah Koch Rupert Conrad |
| author_sort | Ingo Wegener |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and objectives: Self-esteem has been claimed to be an important factor in the development and maintenance of depression. Whereas explicit self-esteem is usually reduced in depressed individuals, studies on implicitly measured self-esteem in depression exhibit a more heterogeneous pattern of results, and the role of implicit self-esteem in depression is still ambiguous. Previous research on implicit self-esteem compensation (ISEC) revealed that implicit self-esteem can mirror processes of self-esteem compensation under conditions that threaten self-esteem. We assume that depressed individuals experience a permanent threat to their selves resulting in enduring processes of ISEC. We hypothesize that ISEC as measured by implicit self-esteem will decrease when individuals recover from depression. Methods: 45 patients with major depression received an integrative in-patient treatment in the Psychosomatic University Hospital Bonn, Germany. Depression was measured by the depression score of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D). Self-esteem was assessed explicitly using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and implicitly by the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and the Name Letter Test (NLT). Results: As expected for a successful treatment of depression, depression scores declined during the eight weeks of treatment and explicit self-esteem rose. In line with our hypothesis, both measures of implicit self-esteem decreased, indicating reduced processes of ISEC. Limitations: It still remains unclear, under which conditions there is an overlap of measures of implicit and explicit self-esteem. Conclusions: The results lend support to the concept of ISEC and demonstrate the relevance of implicit self-esteem and self-esteem compensation for the understanding of depression. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T09:58:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-566fae650e8a41c186eb401ef28d436f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0010-440X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T09:58:36Z |
| publishDate | 2015-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Comprehensive Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-566fae650e8a41c186eb401ef28d436f2022-12-21T23:51:43ZengElsevierComprehensive Psychiatry0010-440X2015-04-01585767Changes of explicitly and implicitly measured self-esteem in the treatment of major depression: Evidence for implicit self-esteem compensationIngo Wegener0Franziska Geiser1Susanne Alfter2Jan Mierke3Katrin Imbierowicz4Alexandra Kleiman5Anne Sarah Koch6Rupert Conrad7Department of Psychosomatics, University Hospital Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany; Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 228 287 16299; fax: +49 228 287 15382.Department of Psychosomatics, University Hospital Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn, GermanyDepartment of Psychosomatics, University Hospital Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany(r)evolution GmbH, Heussallee 12, 53113 Bonn, GermanyDepartment of Psychosomatics, University Hospital Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn, GermanyDepartment of Psychosomatics, University Hospital Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn, GermanyDepartment of Psychosomatics, University Hospital Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn, GermanyDepartment of Psychosomatics, University Hospital Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn, GermanyBackground and objectives: Self-esteem has been claimed to be an important factor in the development and maintenance of depression. Whereas explicit self-esteem is usually reduced in depressed individuals, studies on implicitly measured self-esteem in depression exhibit a more heterogeneous pattern of results, and the role of implicit self-esteem in depression is still ambiguous. Previous research on implicit self-esteem compensation (ISEC) revealed that implicit self-esteem can mirror processes of self-esteem compensation under conditions that threaten self-esteem. We assume that depressed individuals experience a permanent threat to their selves resulting in enduring processes of ISEC. We hypothesize that ISEC as measured by implicit self-esteem will decrease when individuals recover from depression. Methods: 45 patients with major depression received an integrative in-patient treatment in the Psychosomatic University Hospital Bonn, Germany. Depression was measured by the depression score of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D). Self-esteem was assessed explicitly using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and implicitly by the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and the Name Letter Test (NLT). Results: As expected for a successful treatment of depression, depression scores declined during the eight weeks of treatment and explicit self-esteem rose. In line with our hypothesis, both measures of implicit self-esteem decreased, indicating reduced processes of ISEC. Limitations: It still remains unclear, under which conditions there is an overlap of measures of implicit and explicit self-esteem. Conclusions: The results lend support to the concept of ISEC and demonstrate the relevance of implicit self-esteem and self-esteem compensation for the understanding of depression.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010440X14003526 |
| spellingShingle | Ingo Wegener Franziska Geiser Susanne Alfter Jan Mierke Katrin Imbierowicz Alexandra Kleiman Anne Sarah Koch Rupert Conrad Changes of explicitly and implicitly measured self-esteem in the treatment of major depression: Evidence for implicit self-esteem compensation Comprehensive Psychiatry |
| title | Changes of explicitly and implicitly measured self-esteem in the treatment of major depression: Evidence for implicit self-esteem compensation |
| title_full | Changes of explicitly and implicitly measured self-esteem in the treatment of major depression: Evidence for implicit self-esteem compensation |
| title_fullStr | Changes of explicitly and implicitly measured self-esteem in the treatment of major depression: Evidence for implicit self-esteem compensation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changes of explicitly and implicitly measured self-esteem in the treatment of major depression: Evidence for implicit self-esteem compensation |
| title_short | Changes of explicitly and implicitly measured self-esteem in the treatment of major depression: Evidence for implicit self-esteem compensation |
| title_sort | changes of explicitly and implicitly measured self esteem in the treatment of major depression evidence for implicit self esteem compensation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010440X14003526 |
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