Emerging evidence for emotion context insensitivity in depression

Depression is defined as a mood condition. One key problem in depression’s clinical description is determining how persistent mood changes influence emotional reactivity to ongoing environmental stimuli. Repeatedly, depressed individuals have been observed to exhibit diminished reactivity to change in the emotional context. These observations have spawned a theory called emotion context insensitivity (ECI). In this article we: (1) discuss the genesis of ECI theory, (2) consider recent convergent and divergent evidence that bears on ECI and related constructs, (3) sketch a synthesis out of these observations, and (4) outline several future directions that will consolidate our understanding of emotional functioning in depression.