Cambridge, United Kingdom – A widely held belief within the field of clinical psychology—that attempting to suppress negative thoughts can be detrimental to mental health—has been debunked by a groundbreaking study conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge.
Neuroscientists Zulkayda Mamat and Michael Anderson conducted a study involving 60 volunteers from around the world. Over a three-day period in online sessions, participants were trained to block and, if possible, forget distressing thoughts. The results revealed a marked improvement in the participants’ state of mind and a reduction in feelings of depression. Remarkably, these positive effects persisted when the same participants were assessed again three months later.
In a separate control group consisting of 60 individuals, the same technique was employed to suppress neutral thoughts rather than negative ones. This group experienced less pronounced improvement in mental well-being. The findings were published in the journal Science Advances.
Michael Anderson highlighted the historical belief in clinical psychology that suppressing thoughts or memories was counterproductive, as they tended to resurface and influence behavior and well-being negatively. He stated, “The whole point of psychotherapy is to dredge up these thoughts so one can deal with them and rob them of their power.” Anderson further emphasized that the study challenges the notion that thought suppression worsens mental illness.
The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented the researchers from using brain scanners as initially planned due to lockdown restrictions. Given the rising anxiety levels during the pandemic, the researchers saw a pressing need to assist people in coping with their mental health. Many participants were surprised by how effectively they could suppress specific ideas and memories by consciously excluding them from their minds, even continuing to use this technique in their daily lives after the study concluded.
The researchers now plan to expand their work with more extensive studies involving an app designed to aid thought suppression.
Zulkayda Mamat noted that the research should not undermine the entire field of psychotherapy but should instead “offer an alternative for people when expressing their thoughts in talking therapies is not working. Honestly, some things are meant to be forgotten.”
Noel Bell, a psychotherapist representing the UK Council for Psychotherapy, called the study potentially groundbreaking and predicted it would spark debates within the profession. He looked forward to seeing whether the findings would be confirmed and expanded in future research.
María Cantero-García, a psychologist at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid not involved in the study, emphasized the need for further research to fully comprehend the implications of these results. She noted that while the study could offer additional tools to help people manage their thoughts effectively, therapists should continue to assess each situation individually in their clinical practice.
