DEPRESSION AND POSITIVE PERSONALITY PHENOMENA. NEGATIVE CORRELATIONS ARE POSSIBLE OR NOT?
This paper presents the results of correlation analysis between severity of depression (according to Beck) and several positive psychological parameters. Depression happens to show negative correlation with positive personal features, e.g. the meaning of life, curiosity and explorative interest, initiatives aimed at personal growth, satisfaction with life, awareness of the present, emotional maturity, gratitude, hope, happiness and well-being. The authors conclude that ‘positive' personality as a whole can be an opposite to depression while for individual positive features and phenomena there seem to exist depressive symptoms with opposite modality, and the tests used in positive psychology could be used in diagnosis of depression. Then the low level of positive qualities and capacities could point to depression. This article could be interesting for clinical psychologists, psychiatrists and those interested in depression and positive psychology.