The effect of emotion recognition and mindfulness on depression symptoms: A case–control study

Abstract

Abnormalities in emotion recognition (ER) are frequently reported in depression, with lower recognition accuracy in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) when compared to healthy individuals. Mindfulness was found to directly impact the severity of depressive symptoms, by recognizing negative cognitions and dysfunctional reactions. The aims of this study were to compare ER and mindfulness levels between MDD patients and healthy controls (HCs), as well as to examine whether ER and mindfulness are related to symptom severity in MDD patients. Sixty‐eight patients with MDD and 93 HCs participated in the study. A sociodemographic form, reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET), five facet mindfulness questionnaire‐short form (FFMQ‐S) and the Montgomery–Asberg depression scale (MADRS) were administered. Group comparison in ER and mindfulness was performed using the multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Bivariate correlations and hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to assess the associations between depression severity, ER and mindfulness in the patient group. Higher level of mindfulness was found in HCs relative to MDD group, however, no ER difference was present between the groups. A positive association between depression severity and the non‐reactivity facet of mindfulness was found. On the other hand, ER was not significantly associated with symptom severity among individuals with MDD. Non‐reactivity, unlike other dimensions of mindfulness, seems to increase with the severity of depressive symptoms among MDD patients. A particular focus on this subdimension in mindfulness techniques may yield better outcomes in alleviation of depressive symptoms.

The Role of Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Treating Depression among Population Subgroups

“…Nonreactivity was associated with reduced rumination and less negative bias, negatively correlated with anterior insula activation during negative stimuli engagement [27]. Furthermore a casestudy by Aydın et al (2023) with 69 MDD patients and 93 healthy controls suggested that non-reactivity, in contrast to other facets of mindfulness, is stronger corelated with the intensity of depressive symptoms in individuals diagnosed with MDD. Emphasizing this specific facet of mindfulness has the potential to generate improved results in alleviating depressive symptoms [28].…”

“…Furthermore a casestudy by Aydın et al (2023) with 69 MDD patients and 93 healthy controls suggested that non-reactivity, in contrast to other facets of mindfulness, is stronger corelated with the intensity of depressive symptoms in individuals diagnosed with MDD. Emphasizing this specific facet of mindfulness has the potential to generate improved results in alleviating depressive symptoms [28]. Kang et al (2013), in their cross-sectional study, used diffusion tensor imaging and cortical thickness mapping to explore structural changes in gray and white matter associated with meditation.…”