Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2025
07:57
A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats
Published on: February 22, 2018
20.9K
Negative affect variability differs between anxiety and depression on social media
Lauren A Rutter1,2, Marijn Ten Thij1,3,4, Lorenzo Lorenzo-Luaces1,2
1Center for Social and Biomedical Complexity, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States of America.
Plos One
|February 21, 2024
Summary
Individuals with depression exhibit greater negative affect variability than those with anxiety disorders. This study demonstrates social media sentiment analysis can effectively measure mental health at scale.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Computational Social Science
- Psychology
Background:
- Negative affect variability is linked to internalizing psychopathology, including depression and anxiety.
- The Contrast Avoidance Model (CAM) posits that anxiety involves avoiding negative emotional shifts through worry.
- Recent research suggests CAM's applicability to major depression and social phobia due to their characteristic negative affect changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare negative affect variability between individuals diagnosed with anxiety disorders and depressive disorders.
- To investigate the utility of online communication sentiment analysis for assessing mental health conditions.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed Twitter communications from 1,853 individuals diagnosed with anxiety (n=896) or depression (n=957).
- Calculated mean negative affect (NA) and NA variability using the Valence Aware Dictionary for Sentiment Reasoning (VADER).
Main Results:
- Individuals with depression diagnoses (D cohort) showed significantly higher NA variability than those with anxiety diagnoses (A cohort).
- The D cohort also exhibited higher overall average NA compared to the A cohort.
- Statistical significance was confirmed with U-statistics, p-values, and effect sizes (r, d).
Conclusions:
- Depression diagnoses are associated with greater negative affect variability than anxiety disorders.
- Sentiment analysis of large-scale social media data offers a viable method for studying mental health effects.
- This approach enables the scalable study of naturally occurring mental health phenomena.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Social Anxiety Disorder
34
Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is characterized by an intense fear of social situations where one might face humiliation, rejection, embarrassment, or negative evaluation. This disorder leads individuals to avoid activities like casual conversations, public speaking, or seemingly simple tasks such as eating, signing documents, or swimming, in public settings. Its impact extends beyond discomfort, often significantly interfering with daily functioning and quality of life.
34
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
18.3K
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
18.3K
01:18Anxiety: Overview
271
Anxiety is a common mental disorder featuring excessive worry, fear, and apprehension, significantly affecting daily life. People with anxiety disorders experience persistent and intense anxiety, interrupting their everyday functioning.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
271
01:30Stress and Mental Health
157
Chronic stress profoundly affects mental health, significantly influencing mood, behavior, and overall quality of life. Research closely links chronic stress with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Ongoing exposure to stress can lead to physiological and psychological changes, initiating a cycle of emotional distress and maladaptive coping mechanisms.
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...
157
01:27Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia
136
Depressive disorders are a group of mental health conditions characterized by pervasive feelings of sadness, diminished pleasure in life, and a significant impact on daily functioning. These conditions are most prevalent in individuals during their 30s and affect women at twice the rate of men. Contrary to popular belief, younger individuals are generally more susceptible to these disorders than older adults. Two key types of depressive disorders include Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and...
136
01:30Socioemotional Development during Infancy
55
Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
Primary Temperament Types
55