Are depression and suffering distinct? An empirical analysis
Depression and the subjective experience of suffering are distinct forms of distress, but they are sometimes commingled with one another. Using a cross-sectional sample of flight attendants (n = 4,652), we tested for further empirical evidence distinguishing depression and suffering. Correlations wi...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.970466/full |
| _version_ | 1798036169201549312 |
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| author | Richard G. Cowden Dorota Wȩziak-Białowolska Dorota Wȩziak-Białowolska Dorota Wȩziak-Białowolska Eileen McNeely Tyler J. VanderWeele |
| author_facet | Richard G. Cowden Dorota Wȩziak-Białowolska Dorota Wȩziak-Białowolska Dorota Wȩziak-Białowolska Eileen McNeely Tyler J. VanderWeele |
| author_sort | Richard G. Cowden |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Depression and the subjective experience of suffering are distinct forms of distress, but they are sometimes commingled with one another. Using a cross-sectional sample of flight attendants (n = 4,652), we tested for further empirical evidence distinguishing depression and suffering. Correlations with 15 indices covering several dimensions of well-being (i.e., physical health, emotional well-being, psychological well-being, character strengths, social well-being, financial/material well-being) indicated that associations with worse well-being were mostly stronger for depression than suffering. There was a large positive correlation between depression and suffering, but we also found evidence of notable non-concurrent depression and suffering in the sample. After dividing participants into four groups that varied based on severity of depression and suffering, regression analyses showed higher levels of well-being among those with both none-mild depression and none-mild suffering compared to those with moderate-severe depression, moderate-severe suffering, or both. All indices of well-being were lowest among the group of participants with moderate-severe depression and moderate-severe suffering. In addition to providing further evidence supporting a distinction between depression and suffering, our findings suggest that concurrent depression and suffering may be more disruptive to well-being than when either is present alone. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:08:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-544215491362499aabe4371be48db712 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:08:44Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-544215491362499aabe4371be48db7122022-12-22T04:03:08ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-09-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.970466970466Are depression and suffering distinct? An empirical analysisRichard G. Cowden0Dorota Wȩziak-Białowolska1Dorota Wȩziak-Białowolska2Dorota Wȩziak-Białowolska3Eileen McNeely4Tyler J. VanderWeele5Human Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United StatesHuman Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United StatesSustainability and Health Initiative (SHINE), Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesCentre for Evaluation and Analysis of Public Policies, Faculty of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, PolandSustainability and Health Initiative (SHINE), Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United StatesHuman Flourishing Program, Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United StatesDepression and the subjective experience of suffering are distinct forms of distress, but they are sometimes commingled with one another. Using a cross-sectional sample of flight attendants (n = 4,652), we tested for further empirical evidence distinguishing depression and suffering. Correlations with 15 indices covering several dimensions of well-being (i.e., physical health, emotional well-being, psychological well-being, character strengths, social well-being, financial/material well-being) indicated that associations with worse well-being were mostly stronger for depression than suffering. There was a large positive correlation between depression and suffering, but we also found evidence of notable non-concurrent depression and suffering in the sample. After dividing participants into four groups that varied based on severity of depression and suffering, regression analyses showed higher levels of well-being among those with both none-mild depression and none-mild suffering compared to those with moderate-severe depression, moderate-severe suffering, or both. All indices of well-being were lowest among the group of participants with moderate-severe depression and moderate-severe suffering. In addition to providing further evidence supporting a distinction between depression and suffering, our findings suggest that concurrent depression and suffering may be more disruptive to well-being than when either is present alone.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.970466/fulldepressionsufferingpsychological distresshealthwell-being |
| spellingShingle | Richard G. Cowden Dorota Wȩziak-Białowolska Dorota Wȩziak-Białowolska Dorota Wȩziak-Białowolska Eileen McNeely Tyler J. VanderWeele Are depression and suffering distinct? An empirical analysis Frontiers in Psychology depression suffering psychological distress health well-being |
| title | Are depression and suffering distinct? An empirical analysis |
| title_full | Are depression and suffering distinct? An empirical analysis |
| title_fullStr | Are depression and suffering distinct? An empirical analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are depression and suffering distinct? An empirical analysis |
| title_short | Are depression and suffering distinct? An empirical analysis |
| title_sort | are depression and suffering distinct an empirical analysis |
| topic | depression suffering psychological distress health well-being |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.970466/full |
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