--- title: Do depressed adolescents respond differently to angry faces than non-depressed adolescents? description: Yes. Depressed adolescents found it harder to ignore angry faces compared to non-depressed adolescents. Happy faces did not create this difference in either g url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-role-of-interference-and-inhibition-processes-in-dysphoric-early-adolescents-2018/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do depressed adolescents respond differently to angry faces than non-depressed adolescents? Study, 2018 # Do depressed adolescents respond differently to angry faces than non-depressed adolescents? Yes. Depressed adolescents found it harder to ignore angry faces compared to non-depressed adolescents. Happy faces did not create this difference in either group. Early or limited evidence 49 adolescents (17 girls in depressed group, 17 girls in non-depressed group), ages 10-16 ## What they did Researchers tested 21 depressed adolescents and 28 non-depressed adolescents, all ages 10-16 years. Participants completed a task where they had to identify whether a face was positive or negative while ignoring a distractor face in the background. Some faces were angry and some were happy. ## What they found Depressed adolescents were more distracted by and had more difficulty ignoring angry faces compared to non-depressed adolescents. Happy faces did not distract or have to be ignored in either group. There was a relationship between how much someone was distracted by angry faces and how much effort they needed to ignore them. ## What it means for you Depression in adolescents is connected to paying more attention to threatening or angry emotional expressions. The researchers note their results differ from similar studies in adults, which used sad faces. This might mean age affects how emotions influence attention. This is a small observational study without randomization. 21 Depressed adolescents in study 28 Non-depressed adolescents in study 10-16 Age range of participants ## About the study Original title The Role of Interference and Inhibition Processes in Dysphoric Early Adolescents Authors Wante L, Mueller SC, Demeyer I et al. Journal Journal of clinical child and adolescent psychology : the official journal for the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, American Psychological Association, Division 53 Year 2018 Study design Study Participants 28 What was tested None - comparison of depressed vs non-depressed adolescents on attention task Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2015.1102068](https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2015.1102068) ## Topics [Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Adolescents and young people](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-adolescents/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Survey study, 2023 How common are PMS and PMDD among college girls, and what are their symptoms? Review, 2003 How do menstrual cycle hormones affect the brain and cause mood disorders like PMDD? Randomised trial, 2003 Are SSRI antidepressants effective for PMDD? Randomised trial, 2026 Which works better for PMDD: cognitive-behavioral therapy or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy? Study, 2025 Do women with PMDD who experienced childhood trauma have more trouble recognizing emotions? Study, 2025 Does cognitive-behavioral therapy help girls with PMDD feel better about themselves? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗