Within-subject covariation between depression- and anxiety-related affect. Issue 5 (4th July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Anand, Deepika; Wilt, Joshua; Revelle, William
• Is Part Of: Cognition and emotion. Volume 31:Issue 5(2017)
• Page Start: 1055
• Page End: 1061
• Publication Date: 2017-07-04
• Subjects: Depression -- anxiety -- correlation -- lagged effect -- intra-individual -- momentary sampling; Cognition -- Periodicals; Emotions and cognition -- Periodicals; 155.413
• DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2016.1184625
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-9931

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Studies find a strong positive relationship between the affective components of anxiety and depression. However, most research thus far has examined the between-person correlations among these constructs, while ignoring how changes in these two types of affect covary over time within a person. Within-person correlations could differ meaningfully from how anxiety- and depression-related affect relate across individuals. Further, individuals may differ in terms of how highly these constructs covary over time. The current study aimed to (1) compare between- and within-person correlations between anxious and depressive affect, (2) examine lagged effects between anxious and depressive affect over time, (3) test whether individuals differ in their within-person correlations between these two types of affect, and (4) examine whether the mean level of affective intensity moderated these individual differences. These questions were explored using college undergraduates ( N = 50) who rated their depression- and anxiety- related affect six times a day for two weeks. A higher average correlation was observed between anxious and depressive affect in between-person compared to within-person analyses. Significant bidirectional lagged effects were observed between these constructs. Individuals with higher average levels of anxious affect experienced stronger within-person correlations between anxious and depressive affect.