Using biogenetic beliefs as an emotion regulation strategy

Abstract

Patients in psychotherapy occasionally invoke biogenetic explanations for their mental health problems. For example, they may propose that they are feeling depressed because of a “chemical imbalance” in their brain. Here we suggest while there are undoubtably genetic and neurobiological factors that play a role in depression, there may be circumstances in which invoking such explanations serves as an emotion regulation strategy that decreases self-blame and redirects attention away from more intense emotional experiences. First, we review the blame-reducing effect of biogenetic narratives from empirical data and clinical case studies. Second, we introduce a new scale – The Biogenetic Emotion Regulation Scale (BERS) – that attempts to capture this regulatory function. In two samples of college students (total N = 1,403), strategies to reduce personal blame for anxiety and depression by attributing these experiences to biochemical factors were endorsed by a minority of students. These strategies were correlated with avoidance-based emotion regulation strategies including expressive suppression and externalizing blame and were also correlated with symptoms. We provide clinical recommendations to prompt introspection and discussion when biogenetic narratives come up in practice.