Cognitive Emotion Regulation Style, Alexithymia, and Depression: The Unique Role of Self-Blame

This study examined cognitive emotion regulation styles (CERS) as predictors of depression. Self-blame uniquely predicted depressive symptoms even when controlling for other CERS (e.g., rumination, catastrophizing, reappraisal) and alexithymia-inability to identify and describe emotions. This is consistent with the findings that depressed individuals experience low self-esteem, worthlessness, and excessive guilt.