'Now I know how to cope with it': The Trajectory of the Self Over Time in Depression and Anxiety

This research examined how individuals with a depressive and/or anxiety disorder perceive the self over time. Anxiety was associated with helpful comparisons between past, present and future selves. People perceived an upward trajectory of their ability to cope with their symptoms. In contrast, depression onset appeared to disrupt the upward trajectory. People tended to make unhelpful comparisons between the present symptomatic self and the self prior to symptom onset. However, improvement was perceived when comparing the past symptomatic self and current self. The results highlight the importance for treatment to reinforce the upward coping trajectory and target unhelpful temporal comparisons.