Impacts of Stress and Therapy Homework on Momentary Assessments of Positive and Negative

The recurrent nature of major depressive disorder exacts a hefty toll on society. It is thus important to understand what experiences lead to better outcomes post treatment. The present study examined the relationship between individual differences in stress-linked affect regulation and clinical symptoms in remitted depressed patients after the completion of group cognitive behaviour therapy or mindfulness based cognitive therapy. The Experience Sampling Method (ESM) was used to capture the daily experience of 47 remitted depressed patients (mean age = 37.40, SD = 10.93; 72% women) over a one-year follow-up. While negative affect was found to significantly predict depressive symptoms over the year, the frequency of formal homework practice reduced the impact of stress on negative affect, providing protective benefit. Additionally, experience of positive affect dampened the amount of dysfunctional thinking activated under high moments of stress. This research indicates the benefits of formal homework practice during prophylactic treatment.M.A