PsyBlog reviews a recent study that found people who feel depressed are more effective and efficient than others at certain types of activities.
“The researchers developed a new questionnaire which measures ‘analytical rumination’, a mental process which is thought to be an ancient defence mechanism and the root of depression,” writes PsyBlog. “Analytical rumination is where people turn problems over in their heads to the exclusion of all else, trying to look for a solution.” Depressed people reportedly process information more deeply, for example, and make more accurate cost-benefit analyses.
4 Surprising Advantages of Being Depressed (PsyBlog, November 20, 2014)