Ni Zihan, Liu Ye, Zou Laiquan, Zhang Qidong, Fan Wu, Yan Chao
Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute of CNTC, Zhengzhou, China.
School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
Psych J. 2025 Aug;14(4):513-522. doi: 10.1002/pchj.828. Epub 2025 Feb 18.
Olfaction, often regarded as a unique chemical sensation, plays a pivotal role in shaping our quality of life and mental well-being. Numerous studies have highlighted the significant relationship between olfactory function and depressive symptoms. However, the complex mechanisms underlying how olfactory function affects the development of depressive symptoms remain largely unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of hedonic capacity in the link between olfactory function and depressive symptoms. We recruited 1661 young adults, along with an additional 381 participants who had experienced COVID-19-related olfactory dysfunction, to complete a series of self-report questionnaires assessing depressive symptoms, olfactory dysfunction, and hedonic capacity. A subset of 327 participants completed a follow-up survey 3 months later. Our sequential mediation analyses revealed that olfactory function indirectly influenced depressive symptoms through chemosensory pleasure. Moreover, it impacted pleasure derived from social activities by modulating chemosensory pleasure. Notably, this mediating effect persisted over the 3-month period and was evident even in participants with hyposmia, highlighting the lasting importance of chemosensory hedonic capacity. These findings suggest that both chemosensory and social hedonic capacities are crucial in the complex relationship between olfactory function and depressive symptoms. This insight not only deepens our understanding of the developmental psychopathology of depression but also offers a new perspective for its prevention.
嗅觉，常被视为一种独特的化学感觉，在塑造我们的生活质量和心理健康方面起着关键作用。大量研究强调了嗅觉功能与抑郁症状之间的重要关系。然而，嗅觉功能如何影响抑郁症状发展的复杂机制在很大程度上仍不清楚。在本研究中，我们调查了享乐能力在嗅觉功能与抑郁症状之间联系中的作用。我们招募了1661名年轻人，以及另外381名经历过与新冠病毒相关嗅觉功能障碍的参与者，以完成一系列自我报告问卷，评估抑郁症状、嗅觉功能障碍和享乐能力。327名参与者的一个子集在3个月后完成了一项随访调查。我们的序列中介分析表明，嗅觉功能通过化学感觉愉悦间接影响抑郁症状。此外，它通过调节化学感觉愉悦影响从社交活动中获得的愉悦。值得注意的是，这种中介效应在3个月期间持续存在，即使在嗅觉减退的参与者中也很明显，凸显了化学感觉享乐能力的持久重要性。这些发现表明，化学感觉和社交享乐能力在嗅觉功能与抑郁症状之间的复杂关系中都至关重要。这一见解不仅加深了我们对抑郁症发展心理病理学的理解，也为其预防提供了一个新的视角。
