Sadder But Wiser? by Sahar Dorani, Psy.D

For about 25 years, there has been much research  conducted on a phenomenon known as "Depressive Realism." Depressive realism suggests that, at times, those experiencing mild depression may be more accurate in their perceptions of the world, specifically with regards to how much time it takes to do something and how much perceived control they have over situations. Some researchers believe these findings convey that depressed individuals are “sadder but wiser” than non-depressed people (Dobson & Franche, 1989). Some research has focused on depressed individuals' ability to be more accurate with time and how long it takes to complete tasks in a timely manner. The hypothesis here being: if someone is depressed, they are likely fixated on timelines. Specifically, if time feels like it "drags on" for someone, that person is more likely to be attuned to how long it realistically takes to complete a particular task because they are overall more conscious of time. A preoccupation with one's negative mood state and concern that it may never change could lead one to be hyper-focused on the concept of time. In random studies where depressed and non-depressed participants were asked to estimate how long it would take to complete various tasks, mildly depressed individuals were more accurate in their guesstimates (University of Hertfordshire, 2013).

An equally interesting phenomenon present on the other side of this psychological coin is a concept termed "Positive Illusions." This concept suggests non-depressed individuals tend to distort reality in a positive direction. While some of us may think we would rather hold more realistic views of the world than distorted ones, many researchers argue positive illusions are essential in maintaining optimal mental health (Dobson & Franche, 1989). The idea here is that realistic perceptions of the self and of the world may be more likely to be linked with depression, low self-esteem, and other mental health issues. Learning about this research had me wondering, "Would I rather be depressed but hold more realistic views about the world, or be happy-go-lucky in a blissfully ignorant way?" Of course struggling with depression can be debilitating, but anyone who has been a victim of the beast that is depression knows it can attune you to the suffering of others in a way that fosters deep emotional connectedness and empathy. Several therapy clients have expressed to me that experiencing depression has enabled them to fully appreciate the high points in their lives since they have lived through some of the lowest. 

The concept that an optimistic person may distort reality in a positively biased manner has been discussed by academic scholars as well as by popular and mainstream sources of information. The New Yorker recently published an article about the research on depressive realism and how those with depression may tend to be more cynical than others, and how this cynicism has dire consequences for one's overall health. They discussed research that showed that optimistic outlooks on life were connected to an improved ability to deal with stressful events. Different groups of research participants were given surveys to complete that measured their level of optimism; the groups studied were pregnant women in their last trimester, college students about to begin their first semester, and men who were about to undergo coronary-artery bypass surgery. The pregnant women who scored higher on measures of optimism had lower levels of postpartum depression. Similarly, the more optimistic college students were doing better in school than their less optimistic counterparts three months after beginning college. In addition to having a psychological impact, positive thinking was also shown to have benefits on the physical body; men who were more optimistic before heart surgery were less likely to suffer a heart attack during the bypass procedure and they recovered more quickly (Konnikova, 2014). 

While it may not be a surprise that thinking positive thoughts leads to optimal mental and physical health, it is interesting to consider how depressed individuals may have more accurate perceptions of time and may be more realistic about certain situations. The research on depressive realism continues to evolve and this phenomenon proves to be intriguing, perhaps mostly to those who have suffered from depression and did not know they may have more accurate views about certain parts of life. But does being sadder really make one wiser? Is such wisdom worth psychological and physical havoc?

References

Dobson, K.S., & Franche, R.L. (1989). A conceptual and empirical review of the     
            depressive realism hypothesis. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 21(4),      
            419-433.

Konnikova, M. (2014, June 18). Don’t worry, be happy. The New Yorker. Retrieved from
          http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/dont-worry-be-happy

University of Hertfordshire. (2013, August 22). Depressed people have a more accurate 
        perception of time. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 20, 2015 from       
        www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130822090326.htm