Is the Interpersonal Sensitivity and Privileged Self related to changes in mental and physical conditions between working hours and free time?

Abstract

Interpersonal Sensitivity (IS) and Privileged Self (PS) are psychological features of a new type of depression with different symptoms from the melancholic type. The characteristic of this type of depression includes poor physical and mental conditions during working hours, which improves significantly in free time. Therefore, distress during working hours from the new depression type might be worst among office workers with high IS and PS. The author investigated relationships among IS, PS, and mental and physical conditions during working and free time. The study hypothesized that people with high IS and PS show significant differences in distress between working hours and free time. Office workers (N=400, 200 men and 200 women, age range, 22 to 59 years) working in large companies participated in an Internet survey. A series of hierarchical regression analyses supported the study’s hypotheses after controlling for age and sex.