Network analyses of discrete emotions and social connectedness indicators in anxiety and depressive disorders

Low positive affect (PA) and high negative affect (NA) are common features of depressive and anxiety disorders that have been linked to social disconnection. Prior research, however, has examined PA, NA, and social connectedness as global dimensions rather than as systems of interacting discrete emotions and connectedness indicators. This study used network analysis to: (a) examine interrelationships among discrete emotions to identify potentially influential emotions within and across positive and negative emotion communities, and (b) determine which emotions are most strongly linked to indicators of perceived social connection or disconnection. Data were derived from 359 adults with clinically elevated anxiety or depression who completed measures of discrete emotions and social connectedness. We estimated three networks: Model 1 examined associations among positive and negative emotions; Model 2 examined associations among discrete emotions and indicators of social connection; and Model 3 examined associations among discrete emotions and indicators of social disconnection. Model 1 revealed that hope, joy, and guilt/shame were the most central nodes within their respective communities while sadness emerged as a key node linking positive and negative emotions. In Model 2, cross-community links were observed between love and feeling understood, and between embarrassment and comfort around strangers. In Model 3, the node guilt/shame shared a positive association with poor belonging while love was negatively associated with lacking brother/sisterhood among friends. These findings inform how discrete emotions and social experiences relate in anxiety and depressive disorders, pointing to specific emotions and connectedness indicators that may represent promising treatment targets.