Not feeling it: Correlates of Anhedonia

Anhedonia denotes a reduced capacity of experiencing pleasure, which is often reported by individuals with psychiatric disorders such as depression and substance use disorders. Since anhedonia is a critical factor influencing the well-being of psychiatric and general populations, it is important to investigate predictors of anhedonia. Therefore, we conducted a survey in N = 300 young adults aged 18 to 30 (M = 25.45, SD = 3.66) of which 57.3% were female. As predictors of anhedonia, we examined substance use, problematic social media use, coping styles, and mindfulness. Controlling for age, gender, education, and the frequency of leisure activities, we found a positive association of substance use with anhedonia, indicating that the more substances individuals consumed, the more anhedonia they reported. In contrast to expectations, problematic social media use was unrelated to anhedonia. Concerning coping styles, individuals with a more agentic coping style (e.g., making a plan) reported significantly lower levels of anhedonia, whereas communal coping (e.g., seeking social support) was unrelated to anhedonia. Mindfulness negatively correlated with anhedonia. The present study adds to research on behavioral and dispositional predictors of anhedonia.