Scientists: in depression it is important not only to remove anxiety, but also to restore joy

It's about anhedonia, a condition in which a person has difficulty feeling pleasure, interest and joy.

Details

The study was conducted by psychologists at Southern Methodist University and UCLA. They studied Positive Affect Treatment, or PAT, a psychotherapeutic approach that works directly with the brain's reward system.

Unlike standard methods, where the main focus is often on reducing negative emotions, PAT attempts to restore a person's ability to expect good things, notice pleasant events, and feel meaning, motivation and connection to others.

The therapy includes exercises that help to return to meaningful and pleasurable actions, develop gratitude, better retain focus on positive experiences, and re-learn how to enjoy events.

The randomised study involved 98 adults with severe anhedonia, depression and anxiety. Participants received 15 weekly individualised sessions via video link. PAT was compared to therapy aimed at reducing negative emotions.

The results were notable: the PAT group showed greater improvement in overall clinical condition. Improvements were not only in the ability to feel positive emotions, but also in symptoms of depression and anxiety. The effects persisted at least one month after completing therapy.

Why it matters

Depression is often thought of as a state of sadness. But for many people, one of the most severe symptoms is not sadness, but the inability to be happy.

This is important because anhedonia is associated with a more severe course of illness, worse recovery, increased risk of relapse and suicidal behaviour. And standard approaches are often better at reducing negative emotions than bringing back positive ones.

The new work supports the idea that treatment for depression and anxiety should not only "take away the bad stuff" but also help the person re-build interest, pleasure, motivation and a sense of meaning.

Background

Positive Affect Treatment has been developed over a decade as an approach for people with depression, anxiety and low levels of positive emotions. It is based on the idea that some patients have an impaired reward system - a mechanism that helps them to expect pleasant events, enjoy them and learn from positive experiences.

At the same time, the authors and commentators emphasise: the study does not mean that a universal method of treating depression has been found. The sample was small - 98 people, and the approach itself requires further testing and clarification of the mechanisms of action.

Source

The study by Alicia E. Meuret et al. published in JAMA Network Open in 2026: Positive Affect Treatment for Depression, Anxiety, and Low Positive Affect. An accompanying commentary in the same journal sees the work as part of a broader shift toward therapies that restore positive emotions and reward system functioning.