Emotion expressivity, suicidal ideation, and explanatory factors: Differences by Asian American subgroups compared with White emerging adults

Beyond Positive Affect: Discrete Positive Emotions Differentiate Major Depression from Social Anxiety Disorder

Background

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are both associated with diminished global positive affect. However, little is known about which specific positive emotions are affected, and which positive emotions differentiate MDD from SAD.

Methods

Four groups of adults recruited from the community were examined (N = 272): control group (no psychiatric history; n = 76), SAD without MDD group (n = 76), MDD without SAD group (n = 46), and comorbid group (diagnoses of both SAD and MDD; n = 74). Discrete positive emotions were measured with the Modified Differential Emotions Scale, which asked about the frequency of 10 different positive emotions experienced during the past week.

Results

The control group had higher scores on all positive emotions compared to all three clinical groups. The SAD group had higher scores on awe, inspiration, interest, and joy compared to the MDD group, and higher scores on those emotions, as well as amusement, hope, love, pride, and contentment, than the comorbid group. MDD and comorbid groups did not differ on any positive emotions. Gratitude did not differ significantly between clinical groups.

Conclusion

Adopting a discrete positive emotion approach revealed shared and distinct features across SAD, MDD, and their comorbidity. We consider possible mechanisms underlying transdiagnostic vs. disorder-specific emotion deficits.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10608-023-10355-y.

Comfort Expressing Emotions and Suicide Ideation: Evidence of Indirect Effects Via Perceived Burdensomeness and Thwarted Belongingness

OBJECTIVE

Emotion regulation strategies and related constructs have been implicated both as risk and protective factors in a range of mental health outcomes among young adults. To expand upon this previous research, we examined comfort expressing four discrete emotions (i.e., love, happiness, sadness, and anger) as factors that protect against suicide ideation in young adults, within the context of the interpersonal theory of suicide.

METHOD

The sample consisted of 449 college students (73.1% female, 70.6% Hispanic, Mage = 20.5 years) taking part in a larger study of mood and well-being. Students were recruited from a psychology participant pool and completed self-report measures at a single time point for course credit. Comfort expressing emotions and suicide ideation were assessed using the Measure of Verbally Expressed Emotion (MoVEE) and Adult Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (ASIQ), respectively. Perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness were assessed using the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire (INQ).

RESULTS

Preliminary analyses revealed negative associations between comfort expressing all four emotions and suicide ideation (rs = -.13 to -.26). Results from structural equation modeling supported indirect effects from comfort expressing happiness and sadness to suicide ideation, via perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. An indirect effect was also identified from comfort expressing love to suicide ideation, via thwarted belongingness.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that comfort expressing emotions (particularly sadness and happiness) is a protective factor against suicide ideation for young adults. These findings suggest that suicide-prevention efforts may wish to focus on increasing comfort expressing emotions to trusted support networks as potential intervention targets.HIGHLIGHTSComfort expressing emotions is negatively associated with suicide ideation.Comfort expressing emotions is associated with belongingness and burdensomeness.Comfort expressing emotions may be a potential target for suicide prevention.