Stuck on repeat: Adolescent stress and the role of repetitive negative thinking and cognitive avoidance

by Malin Anniko

Adolescent stress and stress-related mental health problems have been re- cognized as a cause of growing concern over the past decades and the need for effective prevention and early interventions is being stressed. However, although most adolescents, given the many changes and new experiences being encountered in this period, will at times experience heightened perceived stress and negative emotions, most do not go on to develop stress-related mental health-problems. What are the mechanisms involved in the development of stress-related mental health problems in adolescence? Identifying such mecha- nisms would give imperative clues as to who and what to target in prevention. This dissertation aims to add pieces to the puzzle of what and who should be targeted in preventive interventions for stress-related mental health problems by expanding our knowledge about adolescent stress and investigating the role of transdiagnostic cognitive processes in the development of stress-related mental health problems in adolescence. More specifically, this dissertation investigates the role of two cognitive processes, cognitive avoidance and re- petitive negative thinking, in the development of stress-related mental health problems. It also presents a shortened version of a questionnaire, specifically developed to measure stressor load in key life areas in adolescence and ex- plores to which areas adolescents themselves ascribe their stress and how the different areas relate to increases in stress-related mental health problems in the form of anxiety and depressive symptoms over time.

75 pages, Paperback

First published May 4, 2018