Cognitive vulnerability

[2] After the individual encounters a stressful experience, the cognitive vulnerability shapes a maladaptive response that increases the likelihood of a psychological disorder.

[4] Preliminary or "distal" causes contribute to the formation of a cognitive vulnerability that ultimately, via immediate or proximal causes, leads to the individual manifesting symptoms of the disorder.

When secure attachment is disrupted and starts to become insecure, abnormal patterns begin, increasing risk for depression.

Vulnerability in psychological terms is implied as an increased probability of emotional pain and some type of psychopathology.

It prevents attention toward emotional cues that do not fit the internalized scheme to which the individual has become vulnerable, and leads to comorbid anxiety.

The dual process model is valid in social and personality psychology but is not adapted to clinical phenomena.

As the dysphoric mood escalates, cognitive resources necessary to combating dysphoria by reflective processing are depleted.

The feedback loop establishes an inability to apply reflective processing to correct negative biases.

Dysphoric moods create more associative processing for depressive vulnerable people by negative cognitive biases.

Just as repeated positive experiences lead the child to develop a positive self image and optimism regarding future events, negative events lead to the development of expectations of hopelessness or even depression when the individual faces a stressful situation in the future.

[3] A study of people with bipolar disorder found that, compared with non-bipolar controls, they had significantly higher levels of dysfunctional attitudes such as perfectionism and need for approval that increase their cognitive vulnerability to depression.