Relation between differential emotions and depression in emotionally disturbed children and adolescents

Differential emotions theory (Izard, 1972) provides a conceptual framework for the role of emotions in affective disorders. The present study investigated the relation of emotions to depression in a sample of child and adolescent psychiatric inpatients (N = 145). Findings indicate that shyness, anger, enjoyment, and shame explained 51.4% of the variance in depression scores. Furthermore, profiles of emotions experienced by youths with a depressive disorder differed significantly from emotion profiles of nondepressed youths on the following emotions: enjoyment, surprise, sadness, anger, shame, shyness, guilt, and self-directed hostility. Differential emotions also correctly classified 80.0% of depressed and nondepressed subjects into their respective groups.