Are you thinking your way into depression? Six habits that can lead to or exacerbate depressive symptoms

Focusing on negativity and overthinking can certainly ruin our moods, but a study from researchers at PsychTests.com reveals that the most damaging and depression-inducing factors are guilt and shame.

MONTREAL, Nov. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Feeling sad after the loss of a loved one, a major disappointment, or a difficult or traumatic experience is to be expected. However, sadness and depression are not interchangeable, as the former is a normal, healthy response to a tough situation that eventually dissipates, whereas the latter is chronic and debilitating. So what leads to depression? Aside from experiencing a difficult life event, research from PsychTests.com highlights six other factors that increase the likelihood of depression: rumination, caring too much about other people's opinions, unhealthy perfectionism, focusing only on negative aspects, attributing failure to internal and unchangeable factors, and the most damaging of all, persistent feelings of guilt and shame.

Analyzing data collected from over 31,000 people who took the Depression Test, PsychTests' researchers compared people who show no signs of depression to those who do. According to their investigation, here are the six factors that can increase the likelihood of depression:

FACTOR 1: GUILT & SHAME
Prolonged feelings of guilt and shame appeared to be the most damaging to mental health. According to PsychTests' study:
> 91% of the depressed group feel they don't deserve to be loved, compared to only 3% of the non-depressed group.
> 99% feel they are worthless, compared to 2% of the non-depressed group.
> 75% said that they are unable to forgive themselves for the mistakes they've made, compared to 13% of the non-depressed group.
> 92% believe that they mess up everything they touch, compared to 1% of the non-depressed group.
> 97% believe they are a burden to their family and friends, compared to 3% of the non-depressed group.

FACTOR 2: ATTRIBUTING FAILURE TO INTERNAL, UNCHANGEABLE FACTORS
Although it's healthy to take responsibility for mistakes and failures, internalizing them, generalizing them, and blaming them on, for example, a lack of intelligence, is detrimental to a person's well-being.
> 81% of the depressed group blame their inability to accomplish a task or achieve a goal on a lack of intelligence, compared to 11% of the non-depressed group.
> 95% believe that the reason they are single or unhappy in their relationships is because they are unlovable and/or unattractive, compared to 9% of the non-depressed group.
> 79% believe that any effort they make to change their lives will be futile, compared to 11% of the non-depressed group.
> When a relationship ends, 89% of the depressed group finds a way to blame themselves for the breakup, even if they are not actually at fault, compared to 12% of the non-depressed group.

FACTOR 3: FOCUSING ONLY ON THE NEGATIVE
Although ignoring problems isn't going to resolve them, focusing exclusively on what's going wrong makes it extremely difficult to notice and appreciate one's blessings. Negative bias, or "tunnel vision," can be highly destructive, leading to both depression and anxiety.
> 86% of the depressed group admitted that they focus more on their failures than on their successes, compared to 26% of the non-depressed group.
> Rather than listening to supportive people, 90% of the depressed group pays more attention to the opinions of people who disapprove of them, compared to 12% of the non-depressed group.
> 97% perceive insults where others see none, compared to 28% of the non-depressed group.

FACTOR 4: UNHEALTHY PERFECTIONISM
Healthy striving stems from the desire to do one's best but also allows for mistakes and failures. On the other hand, unhealthy or maladaptive perfectionists set impossibly high standards for themselves and then harshly criticize themselves when these expectations are not met.
> 86% of the depressed group get mad at themselves for not achieving their goals, compared to 30% of the non-depressed group.
> Even when forces beyond their control prevent them from reaching a goal, 91% of the depressed group blame themselves, compared to 6% of the non-depressed group.
> 83% believe that doing their best is not good enough unless it actually leads to success, compared to 29% of the non-depressed group.

FACTOR 5: CARING TOO MUCH ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE'S OPINIONS
Many people worry about what other people think of them, but placing more weight on someone else's opinion than on our own damages self-esteem, feelings of self-efficacy, and mental health.
> After making a mistake, 93% of the depressed group worry about losing other people's respect, compared to 44% of the non-depressed group.
> 85% keep mum about their failures, compared to 27% of the non-depressed group.
> 79% frequently make decisions based on what would make other people happy, compared to 21% of the non-depressed group.

FACTOR 6: RUMINATION
All those thoughts and problems we think about at night not only rob us of a good night's rest, they can also lead to depression. Chronic rumination eats away at a person's peace of mind.
> 93% of the depressed group keep themselves up at night thinking about problems, compared to 16% of the non-depressed group.
> When something is bothering them, 98% of the depressed group said they can't stop thinking about it, compared to 53% of the non-depressed group.
> 88% worry about problems even when there aren't any, compared to 17% of the non-depressed group.

"Although some people may have a genetic vulnerability to depression, it's almost always the result of a prolonged, maladaptive thinking style," explains Dr. Ilona Jerabek, president of PsychTests. "Cognitively, it works both ways: you can think your way into depression, and when you are depressed, it can further distort your thoughts and lead to negatively biased thinking."

"What surprised us the most in this study is the severely damaging impact of guilt and shame. Remorse after committing a transgression is healthy. It means you understand that you did something wrong and, hopefully, discourages you from doing it again. However, if you continue to beat yourself up after you've been forgiven or for many years after an incident, you're not doing yourself or anyone else any favors. It eats away your sense of self and creates deep-seated self-doubt, effectively keeping you hidden in your comfort zone. Unfortunately, many people who have been raised in very strict or very religious households are taught that they are bad, worthless, or sinful. So they grow up with an overdeveloped sense of shame. As we've seen in our study, these emotions can really take a toll on a person's mental health."

Is it sadness or is it depression? Check out the Depression Test at: https://testyourself.psychtests.com/testid/2087

Professional users, such as HR managers, coaches, and therapists, can request a free demo for this or other assessments from ARCH Profile's extensive battery: http://hrtests.archprofile.com/testdrive_gen_1

To learn more about psychological testing, download this free eBook: http://hrtests.archprofile.com/personality-tests-in-hr

About PsychTests AIM Inc.
PsychTests AIM Inc. originally appeared on the internet scene in 1996. Since its inception, it has become a pre-eminent provider of psychological assessment products and services to human resource personnel, therapists and coaches, academics, researchers and a host of other professionals around the world. PsychTests AIM Inc. staff is comprised of a dedicated team of psychologists, test developers, researchers, statisticians, writers, and artificial intelligence experts (see ARCHProfile.com).

Media Contact

Ilona Jerabek, Ph.D., PsychTests AIM Inc, 5147453189, [email protected], https://testyourself.psychtests.com/

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SOURCE PsychTests AIM Inc