Definition
Three-part model consisting of general distress, anxious arousal, and anhedonia, created to explain both (a) the symptom overlap and comorbidity and (b) the differentiation between anxiety and depression.
Introduction
The tripartite model consists of three components: a shared general distress factor and specific factors for anxiety and depression. The shared general distress factor is primarily characterized by negative affectivity, the tendency to be temperamentally sensitive to negative stimuli (Clark et al. 1994). The specific factor for anxiety is defined by anxious arousal that is primarily characterized by symptoms of physical hyperarousal, such as racing heart, shortness of breath, and dizziness (Clark et al. 1994). The specific factor for anhedonia is defined by low positive affectivity, the inability to feel positive emotions such as joyfulness, enthusiasm, and assertiveness (Clark et al. 1994).
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References
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Khoo, S., Watson, D. (2017). Tripartite Model of Psychopathology. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_878-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_878-1
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