Affective arousal associated with goal-directed thinking in Chronic Depression with Cluster C personality difficulties

Chronic depression is associated with disruptions in cognition and affect, and a failure to sustain goal directed behaviour (GDB). Comorbidity of depression with Cluster C personality psychopathology is high, which may present unique complexity when formulating and engaging such individuals in goal focused therapies. Thinking about goals in different ways, such as focusing on either the outcome or the processes, of goal attainment, can motivate subsequent GDB. However, there is also an affective component that contributes to motivation to engage in GDB, namely, anticipatory affect. Positive and negative anticipatory affect are deemed to influence goal motivation either towards perceivably positive experience, or away from perceivably negative outcomes respectively. Disruptions in anticipatory affect associated with depression and Cluster C psychopathology, likely contribute to barriers in engagement in GDB. The present study explored whether relationships exist between mood, personality characteristics, and anticipatory affect, when thinking about goals in different ways. A non-clinical adult sample (N = 45) completed self-report measures of depression, anxiety, personality and positive and negative affect, before and immediately after thinking about their future goals in an outcome-focused and a process-focused way. Overall, outcome thinking resulted in higher levels of positive affect, whereas process thinking resulted in higher levels of negative affect. All mood and personality variables were inter-correlated, however only depression correlated negatively with positive affect, and only Cluster C personality correlated positively with negative affect at baseline. Only Cluster B related negatively to positive affect following outcome thinking. A number of variables, including Cluster C related to increased negative affect following process thinking. The present study identified distinct affect response styles in individuals with scores on depression and for those with Cluster C personality traits to be considered in the context of comorbidity.