Is there a relationship between depression and crying? A review.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Affective Science

Background:

• Crying is often associated with emotional expression and distress.
• Commonly held beliefs suggest depression leads to more crying or a loss of the ability to cry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the scientific literature on the relationship between depression and crying.
• To evaluate the empirical evidence for and against common claims about crying in depression.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature review was conducted.
• Databases searched included PubMed, PsychInfo, and Google Scholar.

Main Results:

• Crying items on depression inventories show moderate correlations with overall depression severity.
• There is limited empirical evidence supporting the claims that depression increases crying frequency/ease or leads to an inability to cry.

Conclusions:

• The current understanding of the depression-crying relationship lacks strong empirical support.
• Diagnostic systems and assessment tools inconsistently address crying as a symptom of mood disorders.
• Further research is needed to clarify the role and context of crying in depressed individuals.