Is helping you helping me? The assessment of helping others using event sampling methodology in a clinical and a non-clinical sample

Andrew T Gloster; Marcia T B Rinner; Elisa Haller; Jürgen Hoyer; Thorsten Mikoteit; Christian Imboden; Martin Hatzinger; Klaus Bader; Marcel Miché; Roselind Lieb; Andrea H Meyer

doi:10.1111/bjso.12593

Is helping you helping me? The assessment of helping others using event sampling methodology in a clinical and a non-clinical sample

Br J Soc Psychol. 2023 Apr;62(2):768-781. doi: 10.1111/bjso.12593. Epub 2022 Nov 3.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Division of Clinical Psychology and Intervention Science, Department of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
² Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
³ Centre for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders, University of Basel, Psychiatric Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
⁴ Psychiatric Services Solothurn and University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
⁵ Switzerland and Private Clinic Wyss, Psychiatric Services Solothurn and University of Basel, Muenchenbuchsee, Switzerland.
⁶ Psychiatric University Clinics UPK, Basel, Switzerland.
⁷ Division of Clinical Psychology and Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.

PMID: 36329569
DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12593

Abstract

Individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) and social phobia (SP) have difficulties in social interactions. It is unknown, however, whether such difficulties prevent them from helping others, thereby depriving them of the natural benefits of helping, such as receiving gratitude. Using event sampling methodology (ESM), individuals (MDD, n = 118; SP, n = 47; and control group, n = 119) responded to questions about the frequency of helping, in total at 5333 time points, and their well-being. Contrary to our hypothesis, individuals in the MDD, SP and control group did not differ in their helping frequency. Results did show an association between helping and well-being, such that helping is related to well-being and well-being to helping. Understanding the complex relation of helping others and well-being and how this might be used during therapy and prevention programmes are discussed.

Keywords: event sampling methodology; major depressive disorder; prosocial behaviour; social phobia; well-being.

MeSH terms

Depressive Disorder, Major* / diagnosis
Humans
Social Interaction

Abstract

MeSH terms

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