Mildly depressed people more perceptive than others
Findings published in international journal Cognition and Emotion
(Kingston, ON) â€" Surprisingly, people with mild depression are actually more tuned into the feelings of others than those who aren't depressed, a team of Queen's psychologists has discovered.
"This was quite unexpected because we tend to think that the opposite is true," says lead researcher Kate Harkness. "For example, people with depression are more likely to have problems in a number of social areas."
The researchers were so taken aback by the findings, they decided to replicate the study with another group of participants. The second study produced the same results: People with mild symptoms of depression pay more attention to details of their social environment than those who are not depressed.
Their report on what is known as "mental state decoding" â€" or identifying other people's emotional states from social cues such as eye expressions â€" is published today in the international journal, Cognition and Emotion.
Also on the research team from the Queen's Psychology Department are Professors Mark Sabbagh and Jill Jacobson, and students Neeta Chowdrey and Tina Chen. Drs. Roumen Milev and Michela David at Providence Continuing Care Centre, Mental Health Services, collaborated on the study as well.
Previous related research by the Queen's investigators has been conducted on people diagnosed with clinical depression. In this case, the clinically depressed participants performed much worse on tests of mental state decoding than people who weren't depressed.
To explain the apparent discrepancy between those with mild and clinical depression, the researchers suggest that becoming mildly depressed (dysphoric) can heighten concern about your surroundings. "People with mild levels of depression may initially experience feelings of helplessness, and a desire to regain control of their social world," says Dr. Harkness. "They might be specially motivated to scan their environment in a very detailed way, to find subtle social cues indicating what others are thinking and feeling."
The idea that mild depression differs from clinical depression is a controversial one, the psychologist adds. Although it is often viewed as a continuum, she believes that depression may also contain thresholds such as the one identified in this study. "Once you pass the threshold, you're into something very different," she says.
I wonder if they ever thought that maybe the mildly depressed people are more perceptive to others feelings, because they are already sensitive people and get hurt easier than those without depression. I mean if you get hurt easily, would you not have mild depression too?
Quote from: "dergheist"I wonder if they ever thought that maybe the mildly depressed people are more perceptive to others feelings, because they are already sensitive people and get hurt easier than those without depression. I mean if you get hurt easily, would you not have mild depression too?
I think your making assumptions possibly dergheist. Semi-depressed people aren't neccisarily sensitive people. To draw a link between people who get hurt easily and mild depression may not perhaps be correct in all cases... or even a clear majority. I don't know. Depression can have many sources I think, like chemical, biological, an allergic reaction to gluten, a rough childhood exc. I just don't know. Is a controversial subject.
True, that brain chemistry and enviromental factors play a major roll in the mental health of a being from a scientific perspective, but does these factors not help contribute to make a person more sensitive or less sensitive to the enviroment they are around? Look at the majority of people who are green thumbs, are the ones that are good at growing plants not more sensitive to there enviroment and therefore, "sense" the needs of the plants better? To put up a better analogy, what about people who are stressed a lot, are they not more suspect to getting an illness because their immune defenses are not up to par? In my opinion, I feel that people are more suspect to getting mild depression if they are more "sensitive" to their enviroment due to the effects of an un-balanced chemistry, and/ or past experiences in life. In some ways I am saying the same thing as you Avery, just that I am throwing a little bit of pathos in with the matter. I hope this better explains my reasoning on this better than the last.
Well, the stress/lowered immune system response is pretty well established at least.
I just don't like the connection your trying to make between sensitivity and depression because it's a two way street........ and I think unsensative people get depressed too. But as I said, beats me....... I mean, it's not a bad theory you are presenting or anything.
Like you said, this is a very controversial subject and they are discovering new things every day. Like I said, it is just my opinion and I like that you are willing to debate it out. Cool.
'mild' depression...how is it measured?
what is mild and when does it cross the line to 'clinical'.
i've often wondered who decides.
My friend went to her psychologist after a half-year break and the psych looked at her and pronounced her 'clinically' depressed and ripe for dx and medications.
My friend totally disagreed with the diagnosis and has refused to go for further treatment.
My guess is that the use of the word 'clinical' sent my friend running out of the room.
What is depression and at what point must a person look to meds for help?
If it's mild depression, will St. John's Wort served as a daily tea be sufficient to keep the antennae tuned?
Mild depression equalling greater social sensitivity is a wonderful condition for poets, artists, providers of services, but only if the person can cope with the data collected.
i tend to think that it's a matter of choice. If i like how i'm dealing with what i feel, it's fine. If i find myself sliding under from the onslaught of outside impressions, i'm in trouble and need help.
Associations...
thanks for the discussion Andy and dergheist.
Quote from: "judih"What is 'mild' depression...how is it measured?
what is mild and when does it cross the line to 'clinical'.
i've often wondered who decides.
Judih, your so intuitive, it baffles me sometimes.
Quote from: "judih"What is depression and at what point must a person look to meds for help?
If it's mild depression, will St. John's Wort served as a daily tea be sufficient to keep the antennae tuned?
I've read that in germany, St. John's Wort is by far the most perscribed medication for mild depression, so I'd imagine theirs something to it. Some people find it pretty effective anyways, as per the recent discussion in the medicine lodge, although nothing beats daily exercise I hear.
As to the question of what depression is, I'm kinda stuck for an answer to that one myself. I mean there are any number of clinical definitions and signs and symptoms. It's root can be traced to a variety of sources. It can be summed up, scientifically, spiritually, metaphorically, artistically, in mime, or by compairing it to it's opposite or.... well yeah. But as to a root answer to the question....... how does one apply logic/definition to emotion in the first place? For that matter, do inanimate objects feal it? Or is the blue I experience the same blue that you do? Perhaps you weren't really looking for an answer. God I hope not, cuz the thought that I might not be answering your question well enough is getting me :cry:
:D :D :D
i was walking through the questions in my mind - following the paths of the discussion.
If there were an absolute answer, i'd be worried. How can absolutes come into play when we're talking about human beings and our wide variations.
A wonderful performance coach, Sandy Maynard, put it well: if it's not a problem, it's not a problem.
If i'm able to judge, then that 'problem' thing will be up to me. If i'm unable to judge and if i cause havoc everywhere i go, then someone else will have to be called upon to convince me that 'problem' level has been attained.
(If there's anyone around who can be trusted !)
j
QuoteMild depression equalling greater social sensitivity is a wonderful condition for poets, artists, providers of services, but only if the person can cope with the data collected.
It seems to be almost universal in the artist, poets and providers I know. In my own life I have been coming to terms with a tendency to depression more than mild. I am unraveling a whole bag of tricks I used to keep me from the pain, but like you said, creating havock along the way.
Maybe senstitivity also includes sensitivity to oneself, to ones own states.
I startes on St. John's Wort as an experiment and it as shown me that there truely are some issues here for me.
As they say, ya gotta live the blues to sing it my friend.
Well, I have lived em enough, I am thinking.
the flip side is, if you are NOT midly depressed but in an elevated state of 'happiness' the your concern may be more focused around yourself rather than others/ your perseption that anyone else can be feeling anything less than you doesnt cross your mind... mildly depressed / not above 'baseline' could suggest that you are responsive to others as you compare there need to your own and are thus looking for it...
another way to look at it is, if you are motivated to do something, little can get in your way
-or-
if you are headed to a set destination and pass through a garden, you may not notice some of the flowers or specimens in the garden, but if you are strolling along, no clear destination in mind or are just shooting the breeze, then you will take more time to observe the surroundings and view what is there as there is no more pressing issue at hand
clinical generally means it is impacting on everyday life in a way that 'quality' of life is impaired/ noprmal functionality is lost
in a sense, depressed for no good reason
extending longer than it should
it is a continuim and the lines are very hazey.
to put it into thew garden example context, say you are walking through the same garden, spaced out, thinking about something else, not paying attention, you will take even less notice than if you are just motivated towards a destination as you are nop longer in the same plane of environmental awareness
well this is just my take on it.
Cool input and I like the analogy. 8)
I would rather not be depressed, thank you. Smoke a little salvia and you will lose those blues plus it boosts your creativity.
A lot of creative people were depressed such as E. A Poe.
Well, if it works, who am I to knock it.
It's been increasingly shown that traumatic events in early childhood lead to stress/depression related dissorders later on in life. Thus we are the products of our experiences.... to some degree at least.
http://traumaresources.org/stress_relat ... ession.htm (http://traumaresources.org/stress_related_anxiety_depression.htm)
http://teacher.scholastic.com/professio ... eglect.htm (http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/abuse_neglect.htm)
The theory being that the brain is an elastic and evolving organ that is most vunerable in early childhood.
I medicate the symptoms of my (mild to severe?) depression to some success, however I find these type of solutions are transitory. Although they may relieve the symptoms, they do not resolve the underlying reasons for the stress/depression. The thought of which is dismall in itself. I'm possative if one where to root out the reason behind it, they can resolve it. But that process can be much more complicated than it may initially seem.
I tend to think most types of depression are akin to addiction in alot of respects. An addiction of avoidance. 12 step anyone?
na na na na na nanananananana.....
How very true Avery, but I think most of us are to dang lazy and want the easy way out. That has been the human way and that is why we are here on this forum in the first place, No? I think that if we did find the root instead of bandaging up the problem we would be a lot better off and so would the world as a whole. Stoney, dang right about that Sally, lasts much longer I find than the other friends too.
Quote from: "dergheist"How very true Avery, but I think most of us are to dang lazy and want the easy way out. .
Sure enough.
Quote from: "dergheist"That has been the human way and that is why we are here on this forum in the first place, No?
Uhm, you want the easy answer on that one? :D
No. Entheogens are not a shortcut. In fact it's no easy path by any stretch. But thats just my take.
No, No I was reaching again. I did not mean that we are on this forum just because of the plants, but because of human interest in making things easier in life we are on this forum because of teachnology such as computers which are supposed to make our life easier (Yeah Right!). I did not mean that plants are an easy way. If anything, plants are the hard way to go at it. We are both on the same wavelength about the plants I believe.
Oh, sorry Dergheist, I was reading between the lines again. Doh! No offense intended.
Ah, thats alright. It all in good fun and believe me I would not take offense from ya. (Hope you don't take any from me as it is not intended) Your too cool and interesting to get offended at.