How real is depressive realism? A question of scales and standards

Exploring the association of social comparison with depression and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Research has highlighted the role of social comparison processes in varying affect and psychological wellbeing. These processes can provide greater insight into cognitions and behaviours related to depression and anxiety disorders. This review aimed to examine the relationship of social comparison with depression and anxiety in clinically relevant samples, using a process-based approach. Studies of clinical and subclinical populations that utilized observational or experimental social comparison assessment were considered for review. A systematic literature search in Medline and PsycInfo databases produced 54 relevant studies (49 studies on adults and five on child and adolescent populations), 14 of which were suitable for a meta-analysis. A meta-analysis of the association of social comparison evaluation with depression and anxiety in clinical populations revealed weighted correlations of -0.53 and - 0.39, respectively. No subclinical studies were included in a meta-analysis due to a lack of comparable outcomes. Evidence suggests differences between depression and anxiety disorders in information seeking, where frequency and diversity of social comparisons vary; however, studies comparing disorders are lacking. Heterogeneity of experimental studies precluded inclusion in a meta-analysis. A narrative review of experimental data indicated depression and anxiety status is related to reactions to upward comparisons in the domains of affect and behaviour, where individual differences in evaluation can determine affective reactions and how comparison information is further sought. This review suggests social comparison has a significant association with depression and anxiety. However, the limited number of studies with clinical populations necessitates further research on social comparison processes in clinical samples.

Interpersonal appraisals of emotionally distressed persons by anxious and dysphoric individuals

Coyne [J. Abnorm. Psychol. 85 (1976a) 186; Psychiatry 29 (1976b) 28] first reported that depressed persons were negatively appraised interpersonally by interaction partners. The purpose of the current study was to replicate previous findings extending Coyne's theory to anxious individuals and to assess how anxiety and depression of the raters may affect these ratings. Anxious, dysphoric, and control participants watched a video of an actor portraying anxious, depressed, or neutral affect (n = 208). Results indicated that the actor portraying depressed affect was assessed more negatively than the actor portraying anxious affect who, in turn, was assessed more negatively than the actor portraying neutral affect. However, anxious and dysphoric participants did not differ from control participants in their ratings of the videos.