Research Interests

Underlying Mechanisms of Affective Disorders

Repetitive negative thinking (RNT), including rumination and worry, is a common and often harmful pattern of thoughts. This pattern can exacerbate cognitive, physical, and interpersonal problems, and heighten the risk of mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. Individuals suffering from these conditions often find it challenging to escape from this cycle of negative thoughts. However, the underlying mechanisms that sustain this pattern have remained unclear. The Contrast Avoidance Model (CAM) provides insight into this issue. The model suggests that certain individuals are uncomfortable with sharp downturns in their emotions, known as Negative Emotional Contrasts (NECs). These individuals resort to repetitive negative thoughts as a strategy to avoid further abrupt emotional shifts. The model also posits that repetitive negative thoughts can lead to Positive Emotional Contrasts (PECs) if events turn out better than expected. My work aims to 1) empirically test the validity of the CAM, 2) examine the process of rumination within the CAM framework, 3) test the model's applicability to other affective disorders such as bipolar spectrum disorders, and 4) design and validate psychological intervention that target the CAM mechanism.

Representative Publications

• Kim, H., McInnis, M. G., & Sperry, S. H. (2024). An initial test of the Contrast Avoidance Model in bipolar spectrum disorders. Journal of Psychiatric Research.

• Kim, H., & Newman, M. G. (2023). Worry and Rumination Enhance Positive Emotional Contrast Based on the Framework of the Contrast Avoidance Model. Journal of Anxiety Disorders.

• Kim, H., & Newman, M. G. (2022). Avoidance of negative emotional contrast from worry and rumination: An application of the contrast avoidance model. Journal of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy.

• Newman, M. G., Schwob, J. T., Rackoff, G. N., Van Doren, N., Shin, K. E., & Kim, H. (2022). The naturalistic reinforcement of worry from positive and negative emotional contrast: Results from a momentary assessment study within social interactions. Journal of Anxiety Disorders.

• Newman, M. G., Rackoff, G. N., Zhu, Y., & Kim, H. (2022). A transdiagnostic evaluation of contrast avoidance across generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, and social anxiety disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders.

• Kim, H. & Newman, M. G. (2019). The paradox of relaxation-induced anxiety and mediation effects of contrast avoidance in generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders.

• Newman, M. G., Cho S., & Kim H. (2017). Worry and generalized anxiety disorder: A review. Reference module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology.

Idiographic Patterns in Affective Disorders

Comprehending the unique differences in affective disorders empowers healthcare professionals to customize their diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. For instance, discerning how certain disorders may manifest distinct symptoms across various demographic groups can enhance the precision of diagnoses and the effectiveness of treatment plans. Moreover, by pinpointing the idiographic patterns in the progression of symptoms, healthcare providers can allocate resources to at-risk populations at the appropriate time, potentially inhibiting the further advancement of these disorders. My research is centered around three main objectives: 1) identifying individual variations in the disposition and interrelation of affective disorder symptoms, 2) identifying differential time-varying patterns in the progression of mental disorder symptoms, and 3) developing and validating personalizing healthcare treatments based on individual characteristics, incorporating these findings.

Representative Publicaitons

• Kim. H., McInnis, M., & Sperry. S. (In press). Longitudinal dynamics between anxiety and depression in bipolar spectrum disorders. Under review after revision in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science.

• Jo, D., & Kim, H. (2023). Network analysis of depressive symptoms in South Korean adults: Similarities and differences between women and men. Current Psychology.

• Kim, H., & Duval, E. R. (2022). Social anxiety and depression symptoms are differentially related in men and women. Current Psychology.

• Kim, H., Rackoff, G. (Co-first author), Fitzsimmons-Craft, E., Shin, K., Zainal, N., Schwob, T., Eisenberg, D., Wilfley, D., Taylor, C., & Newman, M. (2022). College mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results from a nationwide survey. Cognitive Therapy and Research.

Current Research Projects

• Manuscript under review: Kim. H. Age-varying associations between depression and substance use behaviors in South Korean adults: A Time-Varying Effect Modeling (TVEM) analysis of a nationally representative sample. Under review in the Journal of Affective Disorders. 

Interpersonal Problems in Affective Disorders

Affective disorders frequently result in challenges in interpersonal relationships. Studies indicate that individuals with these disorders are prone to higher levels of withdrawal, isolation, alienation, and loneliness compared to those without such issues. They may also be more inclined to resort to substances like alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism for interpersonal stress. In certain cases, such as social anxiety disorder, symptoms can manifest as intense fear and avoidance of social situations. My research is focused on three primary objectives: 1) identifying factors that contribute to interpersonal difficulties in individuals with affective disorders, 2) exploring temporal dynamics of emotion dysregulation processes in mental disorders with interpersonal deficits such as social anxiety disorder, and 3) identifying subtypes of affective disorders based on the disposition of interpersonal problems. 

Representative Publicaitons

• Kim, H., & Duval, E. R. (2022). Social anxiety and depression symptoms are differentially related in men and women. Current Psychology.

• Chun, Y., Woo, S., Kim, H., Kang, C., & Yang, E. (2009). The relationships between children's interpersonal types and parental factors. The Korean Journal of School Psychology, 6(2), 103-122.

Current Research Projects

• Analyzing data examining the effects of close interpersonal relationships on the longitudinal course of bipolar spectrum disorders (Collaborator: Frances Adiukwu, M.D.)

• Analyzing data comparing the efficacy of different attention bias modification modalities for social anxiety (PI: Elizabeth R. Duval, Ph.D., Michigan Medicine).

• Collaborating with Sojung Kim, Ph.D. (Yeungnam University) on an ecological momentary assessment study examining interpersonal deficits of individuals with social anxiety and their alcohol use problems.

Methodologies for Affective Disorder Research

In the realm of experimental research on affective disorders, it is imperative to employ stimuli that can consistently and effectively elicit a particular target emotion, uninfluenced by extraneous variables such as researcher biases. Furthermore, when comparing various emotion regulation processes, like worry and rumination, it is essential to utilize inductions that are methodologically equivalent. Consequently, my research is centered around the development and validation of effective emotion induction stimuli.

Representative Publicaiton

• Kim H., Lu, X., Costa, M., Kandemir, B., Adams, R. B., Li, J., Wang, J. Z., & Newman, M.G. (2018). Development and validation of Image Stimuli for Emotion Elicitation (ISEE), Psychiatry Research.

• Kandemir, B., Kim, H., Newman, M.G., Adams, R.B., Li, J., & Wang, J.Z. Demographic differences and biases in affect evoked by visual features. (2023). In Wang, J. Z., & Adams, R. B. (Eds.), Modeling visual aesthetics, emotion, and artistic style. New York, NY: Springer.

Current Research Project

• A manuscript on the "Development and validation of novel worry and rumination induction methods" is in preparation for submission.