Are depression and suffering distinct? An empirical analysis

Abstract

Depression and the subjective experience of suffering are distinct forms of distress, but they are sometimes commingled with one another. Using a cross-sectional sample of flight attendants (n = 4,652), we tested for further empirical evidence distinguishing depression and suffering. Correlations with 15 indices covering several dimensions of well-being (i.e., physical health, emotional well-being, psychological well-being, character strengths, social well-being, financial/material well-being) indicated that associations with worse well-being were mostly stronger for depression than suffering. There was a large positive correlation between depression and suffering, but we also found evidence of notable non-concurrent depression and suffering in the sample. After dividing participants into four groups that varied based on severity of depression and suffering, regression analyses showed higher levels of well-being among those with both none-mild depression and none-mild suffering compared to those with moderate-severe depression, moderate-severe suffering, or both. All indices of well-being were lowest among the group of participants with moderate-severe depression and moderate-severe suffering. In addition to providing further evidence supporting a distinction between depression and suffering, our findings suggest that concurrent depression and suffering may be more disruptive to well-being than when either is present alone.

We are not WEIRD: Chinese Culture and Psychology

“…In summary, the influence of cultural perceptions needs to exist and be maintained in behavioral interactions. The synthesis of the three theoretical perspective variables described above goes beyond Xiang's perspective (2021) of explaining the tendency to break off relatives and weakening the impact of this phenomenon purely in terms of modern social transformation, while also integrating Hu's meso-interpretation (2022) of the phenomenon of breaking off relatives as viewed from the perspective of intra-familial social comparisons and pressures, and at the same time Sun's proposal (2023) advocating an explanation of this phenomenon in terms of moral culture, class mobility, and social relations. It is a continuation and synthesis of existing Chinese intellectual discussions on this issue, and it also hopes to provide a comparative case for the explanation of such phenomena in different socio-cultural contexts around the world.…”

Associations of suffering with facets of health and well-being among working adults: longitudinal evidence from two samples

“…Similarly, Cowden et al 2 showed that suffering is associated with lower subsequent psychological flourishing even after adjusting for (amongst other factors) symptoms of anxiety and depression. These findings indicate that suffering is a distinct negative affective experience, and that its presence could have clinically significant implications for individual well-being 12,21 .…”

Young adults from disadvantaged groups experience more stress and deterioration in mental health associated with polycrisis

“…Refs. 61 – 63 . Respondents respond to two questions: In general, how would you rate your physical health?…”