Study, 2018
Do depressed adolescents respond differently to angry faces than non-depressed adolescents?
Yes. Depressed adolescents found it harder to ignore angry faces compared to non-depressed adolescents. Happy faces did not create this difference in either group.
What they did
Researchers tested 21 depressed adolescents and 28 non-depressed adolescents, all ages 10-16 years. Participants completed a task where they had to identify whether a face was positive or negative while ignoring a distractor face in the background. Some faces were angry and some were happy.
What they found
Depressed adolescents were more distracted by and had more difficulty ignoring angry faces compared to non-depressed adolescents. Happy faces did not distract or have to be ignored in either group. There was a relationship between how much someone was distracted by angry faces and how much effort they needed to ignore them.
What it means for you
Depression in adolescents is connected to paying more attention to threatening or angry emotional expressions. The researchers note their results differ from similar studies in adults, which used sad faces. This might mean age affects how emotions influence attention. This is a small observational study without randomization.
21
Depressed adolescents in study
28
Non-depressed adolescents in study
10-16
Age range of participants
About the study
- Original title
- The Role of Interference and Inhibition Processes in Dysphoric Early Adolescents
- Authors
- Wante L, Mueller SC, Demeyer I et al.
- Journal
- Journal of clinical child and adolescent psychology : the official journal for the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, American Psychological Association, Division 53
- Year
- 2018
- Study design
- Study
- Participants
- 28
- What was tested
- None - comparison of depressed vs non-depressed adolescents on attention task
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2015.1102068
Topics
Related studies
Survey study, 2023
How common are PMS and PMDD among college girls, and what are their symptoms?
Review, 2003
How do menstrual cycle hormones affect the brain and cause mood disorders like PMDD?
Randomised trial, 2003
Are SSRI antidepressants effective for PMDD?
Randomised trial, 2026
Which works better for PMDD: cognitive-behavioral therapy or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy?
Study, 2025
Do women with PMDD who experienced childhood trauma have more trouble recognizing emotions?
Study, 2025
Does cognitive-behavioral therapy help girls with PMDD feel better about themselves?