Figure 1.

A cognitive-behavioral model of thought suppression as a maintaining factor in psychopathology. It is proposed that intrusive thoughts and memories evoke negative emotional responses (sadness, anxiety, fear) due to negative appraisals or interpretations of the meaning of the intrusions. The use of thought suppression to regulate negative emotions may bring some initial, short-lasting relief but often has detrimental long-term effects. These include a paradoxical increase in the frequency of intrusive thoughts (rebound effects) and strengthening of negative appraisals when thought suppression fails (ineffective control). The results of Gagnepain et al. (2017) suggest that weak connectivity between the PFC and medial temporal lobe structures (hippocampus [HPC]; amygdala [AMYG]) may contribute to ineffective control and individual differences in vulnerability to this negative cycle of suppression.