Perseverative cognition: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 14:52, 17 February 2020

Revision as of 16:48, 13 April 2020

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==Definition==

The definition of perseverative cognition is: "the repeated or chronic activation of the cognitive representation of one or more psychological stressors".<ref name="BGT2006"/><ref name = "VBGT2010">{{cite journal | last1 = Verkuil | first1 = B. | last2 = Brosschot | first2 = J.F. | last3 = Gebhardt | first3 = W.A. | last4 = Thayer | first4 = J.F. | year = 2010 | title = When worries make you sick: A review of perseverative cognition, the default stress response and somatic health | url = | journal = Journal of Experimental Psychopathology | volume = 1 | issue = | pages = 87–118 | doi = 10.5127/jep.009110 | doi-access = free }}</ref> [[Worry]], [[rumination (psychology)|rumination]] and all other forms of thought ([[cognition]]) involving stressful events, in the past or in the future, fall under the definition of perseverative cognition. 'Just thinking about your problems, without calling it worrying or rumination', is also perseverative cognition, as is [[mind wandering]] when it concerns negative topics.<ref name="OSC2013"/><ref name="OC2013"/> Importantly, there is a large body of knowledge about the typical constituents of perseverative cognition, such as worry, rumination, repetitive thinking and (negative) mind wandering (reviewed in Watkins, 2008<ref name="W2008"/>).

Perseverative cognition may partly be [[Unconsciousness|unconscious]].<ref name="B2010">{{cite journal | last1 = Brosschot | first1 = J.F. | year = 2010 | title = Markers of chronic stress: Prolonged physiological activation and (un)conscious perseverative cognition | url = https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/b78516fb305d378d1793b158a5bc96666239febd| journal = Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews | volume = 35 | issue = 1| pages = 46–50 | doi = 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.01.004 | pmid = 20096302 }}</ref><ref name="BVT2010">{{cite journal | last1 = Brosschot | first1 = J.F. | last2 = Verkuil | first2 = B. | last3 = Thayer | first3 = J.F. | year = 2010 | title = Conscious and unconscious perseverative cognition: Is a large part of prolonged physiological activity due to unconscious stress? | url = | journal = Journal of Psychosomatic Research | volume = 69 | issue = 4| pages = 407–16 | doi = 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2010.02.002 | pmid = 20846542 }}</ref> Just as people are not aware of the larger part of their thoughts (cognition),<ref name="BM2008">{{cite journal | last1 = Bargh | first1 = J.A. | last2 = Morsella | first2 = E. | year = 2008 | title = The unconscious mind | journal = Perspectives on Psychological Science | volume = 3 | issue = 1| pages = 73–9 | doi = 10.1111/j.1745-6916.2008.00064.x | pmid=18584056 | pmc=2440575}}</ref><ref name="DN2006">{{cite journal | last1 = Dijksterhuis | first1 = A. | last2 = Nordgren | first2 = L.F. | year = 2006 | title = A theory of unconscious thought | url = | journal = Perspectives on Psychological Science | volume = 1 | issue = 2| pages = 95–109 | doi = 10.1111/j.1745-6916.2006.00007.x | pmid = 26151465 | citeseerx = 10.1.1.513.2448 }}</ref> they may also not be aware of the cognitive representation of stressors.

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The ''perseverative cognition hypothesis''<ref name="BGT2006" /> holds that stressful events begin to affect people's [[health]] when they think about them repetitively or continuously (that is, '[[wiktionary:perseveration|perseverate]] [[Cognition|cognitively]]').

Stressful events themselves are often too short, as are the physiological responses to them. Therefore the physiological responses during these stressors are unlikely to cause bodily harm. More importantly, many stressful events are merely worried about, or feared in the future, while they often do not happen or do not have the feared consequences. Nevertheless, the body reacts with prolonged physiological responses to continuous thoughts (perseverative cognition) about these stressors. Therefore it is the perseverative cognition, and not the stressors that can eventually lead to disease. In scientific terms, it is said that perseverative cognition is a [[wikt:Special:Search/mediator|mediator]] of the detrimental effects of [[stress (psychological)|stress]] on one's health. Since its publication scientific evidence for this hypothesis has been accumulating.<ref name="VBGT2010" /><ref name="GS2006">{{cite journal | last1 = Geurts | first1 = S.A. | last2 = Sonnentag | first2 = S. | year = 2006 | title = Recovery as an explanatory mechanism in the relation between acute stress reactions and chronic health impairment | url = | journal = Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health| volume = 32 | issue = 6| pages = 482–92 | doi = 10.5271/sjweh.1053 | pmid = 17173204 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name="LC2009">{{cite journal | last1 = Larsen | first1 = B.A | last2 = Christenfeld | first2 = N.J.S. | year = 2009 | title = Cardiovascular Disease and Psychiatric Comorbidity: The Potential Role of Perseverative Cognition | url = | journal = Cardiovascular Psychiatry and Neurology | volume = 2009| issue = | pages = 1–8| doi = 10.1155/2009/791017 | pmid = 20029626 | pmc = 2790803 }}</ref><ref name="FMBK2012">{{cite journal | last1 = Flaxman | first1 = P. E. | last2 = Ménard | first2 = J. | last3 = Bond | first3 = F. W. | last4 = Kinman | first4 = G. | year = 2012 | title = Academics' experiences of a respite from work: Effects of self-critical perfectionism and perseverative cognition on postrespite well-being | url = http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/6323/1/Flaxman%20et%20al%20%282012%29%20JAP.pdf| journal = Journal of Applied Psychology | volume = 97 | issue = 4| pages = 854–865 | doi = 10.1037/a0028055 | pmid=22545621}}</ref>

== Physiological effects and disease ==

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In another article, it is discussed that perseverative cognition increases heart rate, and also impacts parts of the [[brain]], notably in the prefrontal and amygdala areas.<ref name=":0" /> There is a connection between the brain and the heart when it comes to perseverative cognition. When present, it impacts not only mental facilities, but also physical components.<ref name=":0" /> One article describes the physical components as a response to the thoughts, “as if the individual were facing an external stressor”.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Van Laethem|first=Michelle|last2=Beckers|first2=Debby G. J.|last3=Geurts|first3=Sabine A. E.|last4=Garefelt|first4=Johanna|last5=Magnusson Hanson|first5=Linda L.|last6=Leineweber|first6=Constanze|date=2017-09-12|title=Perseverative Cognition as an Explanatory Mechanism in the Relation Between Job Demands and Sleep Quality|journal=International Journal of Behavioral Medicine|volume=25|issue=2|pages=231–242|doi=10.1007/s12529-017-9683-y|pmid=28900837|issn=1070-5503|pmc=5852204}}</ref> The article also talks about how obsessive thoughts of worry lead to greater depression. Cognitive perseverance leads to multiple issues, ranging from [[Mood (psychology)|mood]] to heart rate.

Cognitive perseverance not only impacts mental and physical processing, but it also has the possibility of impacting [[sleep]], as explored in one article.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Makovac|first=Elena|last2=Fagioli|first2=Sabrina|last3=Rae|first3=Charlotte L.|last4=Critchley|first4=Hugo D.|last5=Ottaviani|first5=Cristina|date=January 2020|title=Can't get it off my brain: Meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies on perseverative cognition|journal=Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging|volume=295|pages=111020|doi=10.1016/j.pscychresns.2019.111020|pmid=31790922|issn=0925-4927|doi-access=free}}</ref> In this article, the impact of obsessive worrying regarding jobs, therefore creating perseverative cognition, on sleep was explored. They found that there was a correlation between excessive job centered perseverative cognition and a lack of good sleep. Perseverative cognition impacts several parts of life. Another article<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last=Ottaviani|first=Cristina|last2=Medea|first2=Barbara|last3=Lonigro|first3=Antonia|last4=Tarvainen|first4=Mika|last5=Couyoumdjian|first5=Alessandro|date=April 2015|title=Cognitive rigidity is mirrored by autonomic inflexibility in daily life perseverative cognition|journal=Biological Psychology|volume=107|pages=24–30|doi=10.1016/j.biopsycho.2015.02.011|pmid=25749107|issn=0301-0511|url=https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/30df81eed35f9c3b40570f8db6e2113bb2d0631f}}</ref> talks about how poor sleep could happen when one had perseverative cognition. The article uses the term mind wandering to talk about “persistent and repetitive” thoughts<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Kibler|first=Jeffrey L.|date=February 2018|title=An Extension of the Perseverative Cognition Hypothesis to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptomatology: Cardiovascular Recovery in Relation to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Severity and Cognitive Appraisals of Stress|journal=Journal of Traumatic Stress|volume=31|issue=1|pages=25–34|doi=10.1002/jts.22252|pmc=6190589|issn=0894-9867|pmid=29388694}}</ref> and correlates with other mental disorders. Perseverative cognition can affect more than physical components, as stated earlier. The same article<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last=Ottaviani|first=Cristina|date=2018-04-01|title=Brain-heart interaction in perseverative cognition|journal=Psychophysiology|volume=55|issue=7|pages=e13082|doi=10.1111/psyp.13082|pmid=29607505|issn=0048-5772|doi-access=free}}</ref> also talked about how mental rigidity ties in with perseverative cognition and impacts individuals in multiple ways.

In addition, perseverative cognition has potential to make other [[Mental disorder|mental illnesses]] worse. In another article, on its effect on [[Posttraumatic stress disorder|PTSD]],<ref name=":4" /> it was found that with severe PTSD and the perseverative cognition, it correlated with less recovery regarding cardiovascular disease.