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Symposium

Basic processes and experimental psychopathology
Symposium

Symposium 29 - Culture Beliefs and Dynamic Cognitions in CBT in China: From Cultural Meaning-Making to Family Related Belief Informed Intervention

Friday, June 26, 2026
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM PDT
Location: Yerba Buena Salon 6, B3 Level
CE: 1.5

Keywords: Culture , Cognitive Biases / Distortions , Change Processes / Mechanisms
Level of Familiarity: Moderate
Recommended Readings: Lewis-Fernández, R., Aggarwal, N. K., Bäärnhielm, S., Rohlof, H., Kirmayer, L. J., Weiss, M. G., ... & Lu, F. (2014). Culture and psychiatric evaluation: Operationalizing cultural formulation for DSM-5. Psychiatry, 77(2), 130–154.,   Stover, A. D., Shulkin, J., Lac, A., & Rapp, T. (2024). A meta-analysis of cognitive reappraisal and personal resilience. Clinical psychology review, 110, 102428.,   Wang, Z., Tang, X., Hu, A., Chiu, W., Hofmann, S. G., & Liu, X. (2025). Decentering as a mediator of the effect of mindfulness on emotional distress: Evidence from cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. Psychotherapy research, 35(8), 1458～1472.,   Schleider, J. L., Mullarkey, M. C., Fox, K. R., Dobias, M. L., Shroff, A., Hart, E. A., & Roulston, C. (2022). A randomized trial of online single-session interventions for adolescent depression and other mental health outcomes during COVID-19. Nature Human Behaviour, 6, 258–268.,  

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective for emotional disorders, yet its cognitive targets are often operationalized within Western frameworks. In China—particularly in multiethnic and resource-limited regions—cultural meaning systems, relational obligations, and family-centered care may shape how distress is interpreted, communicated, and maintained. This symposium integrates five studies to advance a culturally grounded and mechanism-explicit account of CBT-relevant processes in China.
The first presentation draws on qualitative interviews in multiethnic regions of China to show that distress is often understood through culturally shared meanings, family roles, and social obligations, highlighting the importance of family-attuned formulation and communication in CBT. The second presentation examines digital CBT processes and suggests that cognition–symptom relationships shift over the course of treatment, supporting time-sensitive intervention targets. The third presentation synthesizes evidence indicating that cognitive biases are relevant across emotional disorders, with variation by context and condition. The fourth presentation reviews mechanism studies suggesting that gains in cognitive and mindfulness-related skills are linked to symptom improvement, with different skills contributing in different ways. The fifth presentation reports a family-based trial in underserved, multiethnic settings suggesting that targeting shared family beliefs is feasible and may enhance scalability through group and online delivery.
Presenters draw on diverse methodological and clinical backgrounds to illustrate the versatility of mechanism-focused, culturally responsive CBT across settings and levels of analysis. The discussant will integrate these perspectives to offer practical recommendations for adapting and implementing CBT in culturally diverse and underserved communities, with particular attention to equity, feasibility, and scalable delivery.

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify culturally shaped illness beliefs and family-centered meaning systems that inform CBT case conceptualization in China.
  • Describe evolving cognition-symptom dynamics during digital CBT using cross-lagged network analysis.
  • Summarize transdiagnostic evidence for cognitive vulnerabilities and for cognitive skills as mechanisms of change.
  • Compare symptom-focused change versus family belief-system change (e.g., fixed mindset) to inform equitable and scalable implementation.

Presentations:

  • 2:06 PM - 2:22 PM PDT
    (SYM 29) Dynamic Interplay Between Depression and Negative Automatic Thoughts During Digital CBT: A Cross-lagged Network Analysis

    Speaker: Jinxing Liu, M.S. (he/him/his) – Department of Psychology, Peking University

  • 2:22 PM - 2:39 PM PDT
    (SYM 29) Cognitive Skills as Mechanisms of Symptom Improvement in Psychological Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

    Speaker: Xueqian Wei, B.S. (she/her/hers) – Peking University

  • 2:39 PM - 2:56 PM PDT
    (SYM 29) Cultural Beliefs and Psychological Distress in China: A Qualitative Study Informing Culturally Adapted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

    Speaker: Linmin Duan, Other (she/her/hers) – Peking University

  • 2:56 PM - 3:13 PM PDT
    (SYM 29) A Multicenter Randomized Family Group Trial of a Growth Mindset Intervention for Adolescents with Emotional Disorders in Ethnic Minority Regions: A Multimodal and Mechanism-focused Investigation

    Speaker: Zuozhi Fang, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – Peking University

  • 3:13 PM - 3:30 PM PDT
    (SYM 29) Mapping the Cognitive Bias Landscape of Emotional Disorders

    Speaker: Elizabeth Zhu – Peking University

    Co-Author: XiJin Zhu, None – Peking University