Lonely at heart and stressed in company of Others: the influence of daily life social experiences and emotions on depression

Social interaction plays an important role in the development and treatment of depressive symptoms. By zooming in on daily life, we can identify incremental building blocks that contribute to the development of depression. This dissertation examined the interaction between genetic vulnerability and social stress sensitivity in the development of depressive symptoms. It also examined the link between loneliness and other social experiences that may contribute to an increase in depressive symptoms. Finally, we identified differences in stress sensitivity among people whose depressive symptoms were and were not in remission after treatment.