Is There a Relationship Between Depression and Crying? A Review
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-2007
Keywords
crying, depression/diagnosis, humans, depression measures
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.2006.00948.x
Abstract
Objective: To conduct a systematic examination of the relationship between depression and crying by reviewing all relevant theory and empirical data including the performance of crying items in measures of depression.
Method: Review of the extant literature on depression and crying using PubMed, PsychInfo and Google Scholar databases.
Results: Scores on crying items of depression inventories correlate moderately with overall depression severity. Otherwise, there is surprisingly little evidence for the widespread claim that depression leads to more frequent and/or easier crying. There is also little empirical support for the competing claim that severely depressed individuals lose their capacity to cry.
Conclusion: Current claims about the relationship between depression and crying lack a robust empirical foundation. Assessment instruments and diagnostic systems for mood disorders are inconsistent in how they handle crying as a symptom. Further work to investigate the causes and the context of crying in depressed patients is needed.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, v. 115, issue 5, p. 340-351
Scholar Commons Citation
Vingerhoets, Ad. J. J. M.; Rottenberg, Johnathan; Cevaal, Annemarie; and Nelson, J. K., "Is There a Relationship Between Depression and Crying? A Review" (2007). Psychology Faculty Publications. 1812.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/psy_facpub/1812
