In a series of two studies, researchers examined the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and depression. Their findings indicate that depression is positively associated with conspiracy beliefs. Additionally, a combination of severe depression and conspiratorial beliefs was found to be strongly associated with support for political violence. Based on their results, the authors of the new research argue that reducing depression could substantially reduce support for political violence in the United States.
“The last several years in American politics have unfortunately introduced concern about political violence,” said study author James N. Druckman, the Payson S. Wild Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University and author of “Experimental Thinking: A Primer on Social Science Experiments.”
“At the same time, the pandemic exacerbated rates of depressive symptoms such that roughly 30% of the population reported such symptoms. We were interested in understanding whether there were conditions under which the two relate to one another – with a very strong conviction that any such relationship is conditional and nuanced.”
“Put another way, we are very sensitive to not stigmatizing those who suffer from depression,” Druckman explained. “We thus developed a theory that suggests the relationship depends on conspiratorial thinking and/or a participatory disposition/efficacy.”
For their initial research, published in Applied Cognitive Psychology, Druckman and his colleagues analyzed three waves of data from the COVID States Project, a nationwide survey of behaviors and attitudes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their sample included 55,212 individuals from the United States.
The participants were asked to assess the accuracy of three prominent conspiracies related to the pandemic: that the coronavirus was created as a weapon in a Chinese lab, that COVID-19 vaccines contain the lung tissue of aborted fetuses, and that COVID-19 vaccines contain microchips that can track people. They also completed the Patient Health Questionnaire, a common screening tool used to assess depression in primary care settings.
In line with previous research, Druckman and his colleagues found several social and political variables that were associated with endorsement of the COVID-19 conspiracies. Evangelical Christians, Republicans, and conservatives were more likely to view the conspiracies as accurate, while women and older individuals were less likely to view the conspiracies as accurate.
The researchers also found a positive association between depression scores and conspiracy beliefs. In other words, those who experienced more depressive symptoms were more likely to view the COVID-19 conspiracies as accurate compared to those with fewer depressive symptoms.
Interestingly, the association between depression and conspiracy beliefs was stronger among White participants, men, those with higher incomes, and those who were more educated. The association was also stronger among those who had COVID-19 personally or had someone diagnosed with COVID-19 in their household. Having greater social support, in contrast, weakened the association between depression and conspiracy beliefs.
“Overall, our results highlight substantial heterogeneities in the relationship between depression and conspiracy beliefs. The connection appears strong among those with more advantaged status and among those who have challenging experiences and/or lack support in coping with such experiences,” the researchers wrote.
In a subsequent paper, Druckman and his colleagues built upon their findings by examining support for political violence and reactions to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The researchers reached out to individuals who had completed the November 2020 wave of the COVID States Project. A total of 2,044 of these individuals completed a follow-up survey in January 2021.
In November, the participants were asked the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with the statement: “If it became clear to you that the 2020 presidential election was not conducted fairly, would you approve or disapprove of other people who reacted by using violence.” They also reported whether they had participated in at least one of six political actions in the past six months, such as volunteering for a candidate or posting about politics on social media.
In January, the participants were again asked about their support for political violence. In addition, they indicated whether they supported or opposed the storming of the Capitol building.
The researchers found that conspiratorial beliefs were associated with support for violence and support for the January 6 riots among those suffering from depression. Political participation was also associated with support for violence and support for the January 6 riots among those suffering from depression. This was true even after statistically accounting for the effects of support for Donald Trump and other factors.
“We found the effects are much stronger for men,” Druckman noted. “In retrospect, this makes sense given men react to depression differently and view political participation differently.”
A person who was both severely depressed and conspiratorial was 13 times more likely to support the storming of the Capitol compared to the typical baseline participant, the researchers found.
The findings indicate “that issues of health in general and mental health in particular have political implications,” he told PsyPost. “There are thus political, as well as social and health reasons, to invest in treatment for mental health.”
But the researchers emphasized that depression on its own did not appear to increase support for violence — it only did so in combination with conspiracy beliefs and/or a participatory disposition. Those who were moderately or severely depressed but were not conspiratorial or politically involved were “at or near 0” in their support for violence, suggesting that in some circumstances depression can have a demobilizing effect.
“The relationship is contingent, and commentators should not simplify it by suggesting those who suffer from depressive symptoms necessarily act in particular ways,” Druckman said.
As with all research, the new findings include some caveats.
“Our findings are based on observational data,” Druckman explained. “It would be difficult, although not impossible, to document a causal relationship. Also, more work can be done to isolate the psychological mechanism through which depression along with conspiratorial thinking and/or a participatory disposition relates to support for political violence. We suggest it may be a desire for control; anger also could play a role. Our hope is that scholars explore the relationship between health and politics more.”
The study, “Depressive symptoms and conspiracy beliefs“, was authored by Jon Green, James N. Druckman, Matthew A. Baum, David Lazer, Katherine Ognyanova, and Roy H. Perlis.
The study, “The Political Consequences of Depression: How Conspiracy Beliefs, Participatory Dispositions, and Depression Relate to Support for Political Violence“, was authored by Matthew A. Baum, James N. Druckman, Matthew Simonson, Jennifer Lin, and Roy H. Perlis