PROJECT SUMMARY
This project seeks to shed light on mechanisms underlying transdiagnostic risk for mental illness by
integrating two traditionally disparate lines of research. One line of work indicates that repetitive negative
thinking (RNT)—a transdiagnostic risk factor characterized by frequent, negative, self-focused thoughts—
increases vulnerability for a range of mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety. A second line
of work demonstrates that high-quality social relationships are associated with lower rates of mental and
physical illness; conversely, relationship stress, hostility, and disconnection exacerbate loneliness, isolation,
and mental and physical illness. This proposal will test a new model in which RNT and social connectedness
work together as parts of an integrated whole. The central argument of this model is that RNT exerts its
pernicious effects on mental health by impairing the ability to meaningfully connect with others through
empathy—a critical component of social connection that involves sharing and understanding others’ emotions.
Critical to this model is the hypothesis that RNT and empathy operate dyadically; that is, they affect both
partners in a close relationship. To test this model, this project will implement a multilevel research design that
integrates self-report, neuroimaging, and naturalistic observation to study RNT, social connection, and mental
health in the context of established close relationships. Specifically, the project will employ a multi-method
approach across 200 established romantic couples (young adults to those in middle age; N = 400) to assess
the following aims: (1) Examine associations between RNT and partner-directed neural and behavioral
empathy among romantic couples; (2) Determine the role of neural empathy in dyadic social-emotional and
mental health outcomes; (3) Determine the role of RNT in dyadic mental health outcomes; and (4) Examine
whether neural empathy mediates the dyadic association between RNT and longitudinal mental health
outcomes. Advancing prior work, the proposed research will examine neural empathy in a novel and validated
social feedback task using functional MRI in each member of the couple, to be modelled using dyadic
statistics. Additionally, RNT and daily social behaviors will be assessed in everyday life using two mobile apps
developed by the research team: Mind Window and the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR). Finally,
mental health will be assessed over 6 months to allow for prospective changes in the primary outcomes of
interest. To tackle the study’s aims, this proposal brings together an interdisciplinary team of researchers with
expertise spanning all facets of the proposed research: RNT, depression, neural empathy, social
connectedness, dyadic modelling, and ambulatory assessment. Ultimately, this work holds promise for
advancing scientific understanding of how individual and social risks for psychopathology operate together to
shape emotional disorders. In turn, this research has the potential to help identify novel intervention targets to
strengthen social connectedness in service of improving mental health.