Adolescent Substance Abuse Articles
Different emotions influence symptom reporting
By Staff Writer
The negative emotions that an individual experiences can have an impact on the symptoms they report to physicians, according to a recent study on depression and anxiety.
In the study, which was conducted at the University of Iowa, researchers collected information from undergraduates. In one session, 144 students completed a questionnaire designed to assess their depression and symptoms they had experienced.
Results showed that students who felt depressed reported more symptoms, even though they seemed healthy. The researchers believe that many of these individuals shared the same symptoms with other participants, but felt they experienced more since they were feeling unhappy.
Another phase of the study was designed to gauge the effects of anxiety on symptoms reporting using a sample of 125 students. Anxious participants reported a higher number of physical symptoms.
These findings led the researchers to believe that individuals who feel depressed report a higher number of past symptoms, while those who are anxious report more symptoms in the present.
For the researchers, this is information is important for physicians, who make a diagnosis based on the symptoms a patient describes.
Individuals may want to seek treatment for depression from a mental health and drug rehab facility if they are suffering from the emotional disorder.
