Jonah Lehrer finds an upside to depression:
Although rumination feels terrible, it might make it easier for us to pay continuous attention to our dilemmas. According to [researchers] Andrews and Thomson, the mood disorder is part of a “coordinated system” that exists “for the specific purpose of effectively analyzing the complex life problem that triggered the depression.” If depression didn’t exist — if we didn’t react to stress and trauma with endless ruminations — then we would be less likely to solve our predicaments.
He reports on a new study that tested the hiring abilities of clinically depressed subjects against healthy participants:
The main problem with healthy subjects is that they proved lazy, unwilling to search through enough applicants. Those with depression, on the other hand, were much more willing to keep on considering alternatives, which is why they performed far better on the task. While this study comes with many caveats, it remains an interesting demonstration that depression, at least in specific situations, seems to enhance our analytical skills, making us better at focusing on social dilemmas.
Unless the darkness obliterates any ability to do anything much at all. Which is so often the case.
The Dish 