(PS9-70) The Day-to-Day Effects of Social and Work Withdrawal on Mood

Abstract Text: The behavioral theory of depression posits that insufficient response-contingent positive reinforcement contributes significantly to depression (Lewinsohn & Graf, 1973). Low mood, a central characteristic of depression, is transdiagnostic across internalizing disorders (Kotov et al., 2017). According to this theory, reduced positive reinforcement, often by disengaging from meaningful activities like social and work activities, worsens depression, whereas increasing reinforcement can alleviate it. This study was one of the first to examine the effect of social and work withdrawal on mood using a day-to-day time scale. Using data from the MIDUS Daily Stress Project (2004–2009; N = 2,022), a nationally representative sample of midlife adults, we investigated how daily social withdrawal and work withdrawal related to Positive Affect (PA) and Negative Affect (NA) over 8-consecutive days. Social and work withdrawal (separately asked) were based on whether participants spent less time engaging in work and social activity compared to their usual rates. PA and NA were measured as continuous scores via an adapted version of Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson & Clark, 1988; Ryff & Almeida, 2009). Separate linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts for each PA and NA included social and work withdrawal as primary predictors with random slopes. All predictors were binary yes/no variables. Findings indicated that, at the same-day level, daily centered social withdrawal was significantly associated with lower PA (β = –0.34, p < .001) and higher NA (β = +0.16, p < .001). Similarly, daily centered work withdrawal was associated with decreased PA (β = –0.30, p < .001) and increased NA (β = +0.12, p < .001). The impact was comparatively stronger for PA than NA, and the effects were more sizable at the between-person level, suggesting that persistent withdrawal is associated with a greater negative impact on mood. Limitations includes the lack of detail on the extent of withdrawal each day compared to their average (i.e., binary variables) and the non-experimental design that prevents causal inferences. Nevertheless, the findings still point out to the importance of sustaining consistent daily engagement in social and work activities for better mood. These findings has important implications for clinical interventions and policy recommendations.

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Ryff, C. D., & Almeida, D. M. (2009). Midlife in the United States (MIDUS 2): Daily Stress Project, 2004–2009 (ICPSR 26841) [SCALES]. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research.

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