Scientists have found that people suffering from clinical depression are more likely to set abstract goals that are difficult to attain.
Researchers from the University of Liverpool conducted a study to analyze the link between clinical depression and how patients suffering from this disorder set goals. They looked at lists of personal goals set by a group of depressed people and a group of non depressed people.
All participants were asked to write down a list of goals they would like to achieve in the short, medium or long term. These goals were categorized into two groups - general or specific goals. For example goals such as "be happy" were placed under the general group while goals such as "improve my 5-mile marathon time this summer" were put under the specific group.
Researchers observed that while both groups listed equal number of goals, depressed participants listed more general and abstract goals than the non-depressed participants. Also, depressed participants were more likely to give non-specific reasons for either achieving or not achieving their goals.
Abstract goals are more difficult to visualize which makes them even more difficult to achieve visually as well. This decreases a person's motivation to try and achieve such goals.
"We know that depression is associated with negative thoughts and a tendency to over-generalize, particularly in reference to how people think about themselves and their past memories," lead author, Dr. Joanne Dickson, said in a press release. "This study, for the first time, examined whether this trait also encompasses personal goals. We found that the goals that people with clinical depression listed lacked a specific focus, making it more difficult to achieve them and therefore creating a downward cycle of negative thoughts."
According to a Centers of Disease Control and Prevention report, one in every 10 American adults suffers from depression. Authors of the study hope that their findings can help develop new ways of treating clinically depressed patients. Health care personals can help depressed patients set more specific goals that are easier to achieve. This would break the cycle of negative thoughts that accompanies depression.
