Depressive Realism

Depressive realism is a controversial hypothesis, developed by psychologists Lauren Alloy and Lyn Yvonne Abramson in the 1970s, that depressed people are more accurate in their perceptions and judgments than people without depression. It also suggests undepressed people have a positively biased view of the world. Evidence is mixed. The idea is depressive realism can help depressed people have more realistic insights about their illness and its impact on them. It can also help them make more realistic assessments of whether their partner understands their feelings or thoughts.