Which links exist between depression, engagement in activities’ level and several psychological processes?

In Europe, depression affects 33.4 millions of people every year. According to the World Health Organization, depression will be the leading cause of disabilities in 2030. This highlights the need for available, effective and efficient treatments of this psychopathology. In order to offer such treatments, there is a need for a deep understanding of depression’s mechanisms.
Depression is characterized by a decrease of the level of engagement in activities: for instance, depressed patients stay in bed, don’t see friends, don’t go out anymore and can be on sick leave for a long period of time. Reciprocally, this decrease maintains depressive symptoms. This link between depression and level of engagement in activities is well-established in the scientific literature. However, no study has, until yet, determined which psychological processes are mediators of this link. Therefore, this study’s aim is to determine these psychological processes. In order to reach this aim, 500 subjects, suffering from psychopathology or not, will fulfill a set of questionnaires. These questionnaires will assess mood (anxiety and depression), level of engagement in activities and five categories of psychological processes that have been selected from different theoretical models of depression (self-image, environmental satisfaction, negative repetitive thoughts, experiential avoidance and emotional regulation). Statistical analysis will be performed in order to confirm a LISREL model. Data collection is ongoing and results will be presented and discussed during the congress.